Niklaus
by scrappy12
Summary: Sequel of Monster. Klaus returns to Mystic Falls as his new persona, Niklaus, who is eager to lead a normal life along with figuring out his past. Caroline attempts to make Niklaus fall in love with her as she finds her heart still belongs to Klaus, can she learn to love Niklaus as well. The couple has little time to figure it out as a new war wages for the group and The Originals.
1. The Boy That Never Returned

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back. I hope I didn't have to keep you guys waiting for too long. I was eager to get this story going because I think it will put the rest of you at ease who might've expected something different for the ending of Monster. I thank you all for helping me get to 100 reviews on Monster, I greatly appreciated that. This story or at least how I have it mapped out has a bit of The Vow type of feel, but it's different. I saw the movie and I still hate the ending but this will be a twist on it in some ways. I accidentally realized that it was sort of morphing into that movie when I realized that Klaus/Niklaus has bit of his memory, but trust it will be different. **

**For my new readers, you'll probably be confused because this is the sequel to Monster. So basically if you want to know what's going on then you can read that story. Klaus is Niklaus, so I'll be using Niklaus as his name in the story because that's who he has personified himself as. Whether he goes back to Klaus will be answered down the line? This story was created off of one of the lines or dialogue that Klaus and Caroline had in Monster, where he asks if they met under different circumstances then would they have a chance, well now you guys will see as those circumstances have come. I hope you enjoy and I look forward to your feedback.**

* * *

**_Niklaus_**

**Chapter One- The Boy That Never Returned**

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_It seems weird that I'm even doing this, but I guess my rampant thoughts have reduced me to a paper and pen. I miss him so much that it feels like each day I die. I try to convince that these summer months will allow me to move on to something normal. Something that would be better for me, but I just can't seem to get there. Elena and Bonnie have tried reaching out, but things aren't the same. I can't really say that they will ever be because at the end of the day, I chose him. I'd do it again and I think that's what fractures us from each other. I wish I could kill this feeling but then again, I'd rather love him than to not love him at all. Maybe someday I'll fall out of love with him. Maybe someday it'll be easier to see that a normal life can be achieved. I just wish I could know that he's okay. I want him to be happy above all else and if enduring this broken heart is what I have to do in order to ensure that, I guess love will be something I will have to suffer through._

_Sincerely,_

_Caroline Forbes_

_**[Flashback]**_

_**Feeling his hands run over her body as his eyes took her in, Caroline loved that he could make love to her with just his eyes. She could see his thoughts in the strangest of the ways, she felt beautiful because he made her believe that she was, she felt his love even though she was too scared to admit her own. Their hands intertwined as they held it up for the sunlight to capture while they got lost in each other. Tracing her face with the tip of his nose, Klaus took her scent in as she was breathtaking in every sense of the word. Playfully nipping at her lips, Caroline yearned for the full impact of his lips crashed against hers but would endure the waiting game because she knew the end result would be far more pleasurable.**_

_**Her moans rang softly in his ears as his movements were slow and calculated. Bringing his face out from the crook of her neck, Klaus looked down at her to see her looking back at him. He could've sworn that she saw into his soul, she was the only one that could see him even when he wasn't sure he could see himself. Each movement he made inside of her, she bit down on her bottom lip as she let out soft moans to control herself for the marathon. Leaning in slowly, Klaus baited her with his lips as he waited for her to really desire his kiss before he attempted to close the minimal distance between them. Driving in harder, Caroline latched on to his lips as she suppressed a moan against his lips.**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

_Dear Diary,_

_My summer has served as an endless adventure. My brothers and sister have gathered in the summer home that Mikael once took us away to when it came to hunting season. It's not the same as it used to be, but it's refurbished enough for these modern times. I've found numerous of books that I had stowed away in a box that I burry as a kid that was about a few feet away from the house. Once I dug it up, I was immediately hit with memories of what it was like growing up. Times were bad for me, but I can remember the good. I can remember the endless sweat from working and hunting for our food so that mother could supper on the table, I can remember the dives into the river as we wore our best attire for Sunday school. I can remember it all so clearly that it's hard to even imagine being away from this home, this life. Elijah makes it a routine to ask me a series of questions that I don't seem to do well on. I hear whispers of words about a creatures such as vampires, but I'm not sure what that has to do with our present state. I've heard myths of the blood suckers, as they were dubbed, but that's all I can equate them to, blood suckers. I can't shake this feeling though, I feel the need to be close to my family as it feels good for us to all be together again but I can't ignore the fact that something or even somewhere is calling for me. I don't know, maybe it's my heart being caught up in the adventures that the books speak of._

_Sincerely,_

_Niklaus_

_**[Flashback]**_

_**The little boy looked up at his mother to see her eager face as she couldn't wait for him to reveal what was concealed in the wrappings of newspapers. A smile quickly lit up his face as he could see the envy from his brothers and sister as they too were eager to see what he had received. It wasn't his birthday but just a day that his mother decided to show her affections to just him while the others envied his attention. Immediately taking to ripping away the paper that was around the object, he ripped it away like a savage rips at a prey's skin before it was finally revealed. Taking in the bonding of the book, he smiled at his mother while his siblings weren't quite sure what there was to be happy about.**_

_**"Open it up" Esther told her son as he did as his mother told him to do. Seeing what she had spoke of, he looked up with sheer delight as this present of a classic from Benjamin Franklin had easily become his best present ever. "It has your name in it" she smiled proudly**_

_**"Niklaus" Niklaus read to himself**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

_Dear Diary,_

_I've put so much focus in to my schoolwork that I don't even realize that I'm close to graduating within the two year span. No more Junior College, I guess a university is within my sight. I go to the Mystic Grill with my books and they allow me to have the perfect excuse to cut conversation short with old classmates of mine because I'm studying. Who knew I'd actually be able to use that line legitimately. Elena has tried to reach out, she's sat with me in complete silence as we both work on school but we don't say much but pleasant conversation. I'm not ready yet and I'm not sure I can really talk to her about what's really bothering me. Bonnie doesn't really bother to ask, so I don't care to whine about my problems but I wish I could. Occasionally I run in to Robert and he's still guilt ridden. I'm not sure I can really talk to him because a piece of me is upset with him. I wish that he could've done something ahead of time instead of things getting out of control as they did, but then I'm appreciative of the fact that he did anything at all that would allow him to live. I'm frustrated and confused. I just want this year to go by quickly because being in Mystic Falls is becoming something I want to change in my life. If I didn't have school, I'm not sure there is anything really worth to believe in because although my friends and I survived the possible onslaught of The Originals, we can't hide the scars we've received from each other._

_Sincerely,_

_Caroline Forbes_

_Dear Diary,_

_The whispers around the house has seemed to pick up between Elijah and Kol. They think I can't hear but I hear them very well. They speak about vampires and hybrids while all I can do is wonder what exactly they're talking about. A part of me can sense that something is different about me as my morning cup of tea is laced with blood. I attempt to drink it, but it's not something that I care to drink. It will just have to be one thing that I don't share in common with my family as they share the same cup that's laced with blood and seem to enjoy it. Elijah's talks with me have been filled with impatience and I can't help but plan my escape. I don't want to leave the house but I don't think I can take anymore of the tension between my brother. On occasion I look at maps that I just have laying around, marking random spots that come to my attention. I can't help but narrow in on a certain area and each day I narrow it even further to where I know exactly where I'm headed towards. I don't know why, but this place seems to be that of one that I dream about. I just hope that my escape won't come sooner than I anticipated as I really want to enjoy my time with my family._

_Sincerely,_

_Niklaus_

**_[Flashback]_**

**_Sitting in his bed, he pens his thoughts as random stories fill his mind until he feels like writing these thoughts down will be his only source of release. Hearing the splashing of water come from outside, he gets up from his bed to look out at Kol horse around while Rebekkah does all she can to soak in the rays of the sun. He doesn't quite understand why she does that, but he assumes it's something he'll never understand. He gets caught up in looking that he doesn't even hear that his wisest of brothers has joined him._**

**_"You always loved this place" Elijah spoke softly_**

**_"What wasn't there to love about this place" Niklaus smiled as he looked away from the window to look on at his brother. "I fear you've come for other reasons though, so what ails my eldest of brothers?" he asked_**

**_"You need blood Niklaus. You can refuse this as much as you want, but you are what you are" Elijah told him_**

**_"No, I'm not" Niklaus replied as he shook his head in disapproval of what his brother was saying_**

**_"Yes, you are. You need blood to survive, that is how you live. You don't have to feed on it as wild beast but you need it" Elijah said_**

**_"I'm not a vampire!" Niklaus exclaimed before Elijah quickly approached him_**

**_"This notion that you are not is but a mere foolish thought. In order for you to survive you can't be oblivious to the fact of who you are and what you are" Elijah sternly told his brother "This isn't home…this was never home to you. Mikael harassed you endlessly, you were the black sheep amongst the other because you were different" he said making it a point to sound crude and nast to his brother_**

**_"You're wrong!" Niklaus said as he shoved his brother towards the opposite side of the room_**

**_"It's true. Mikael never loved you, that much you knew" Elijah continued on "Mikael hated what you were!" he yelled_**

**_"He was my father!" Niklaus replied as his anger began to show on full display "He was my father" he reasoned_**

**_"No, he wasn't" Elijah told him simply "Remember who you are and what you are, this notion that you're above the species of blood suckers will get you killed quicker than you think" he told him_**

**_"I may be different but I'm not a lesser" Niklaus replied_**

**_"No, you're greater and you need to start thinking that way!" Elijah told him "This is not your home, this is not your new sense of life" he told him_**

**_"Then what is!" Niklaus asked "You want me to remember stuff that clearly I know nothing of. I will never be that person again!" he exclaimed_**

**_"Go!" Elijah said as he grabbed his books and began to throw them out of the window with Niklaus protesting behind him_**

**_"Stop it!" Niklaus yelled as Elijah fended him off_**

**_"This isn't real. You live in your books but that isn't your world. This isn't a home of happiness, this was the home that you ran from when you learned of what you really were. I brought you here to help you remember what you were because this family needs you to remember" Elijah yelled "You've become weaker, and I….I can't stand by and condone this wishful thinking any longer because that's the lie. This life you think you had, it's all a lie because nothing about your days here were peaceful they were far from it" he told him_**

**_"What do you want from me!" Niklaus asked as tears welled up in his eyes while he looked on at his brother before Rebekkah suddenly emerged in the room_**

**_"What is going on? I can hear you both from outside" Rebekkah asked as she looked from Niklaus to Elijah "What is going on?" she asked_**

**_"My brother was just telling me that everything I know is a lie. My brother was telling me that I wasn't the child that Mikael wanted, so tell me what more do you want from me!" Niklaus yelled_**

**_"Elijah is this true?" Rebekkah asked_**

**_"It's true" Elijah replied as he continued to stare at his brother "Go Niklaus" he told him_**

**_"No, don't listen to him. Stay" Rebekkah quickly told him_**

**_"Is that what you want?" Niklaus asked as the tension grew between them_**

**_"Yes" Elijah replied before Niklaus finally took his bluff and grabbed his keys. Clinging in between her brothers, Rebekkah pleaded with her brother to stay when his mindset was to go. Not thinking to grab any of his things, Klaus pulled away from Rebekkah's embrace before he finally made his way out of the room._**

**_"Why? Why'd you do that?" Rebekkah questioned "He needs us more than ever" she told him_**

**_"No, what he needs is to get out of the fantasyland that he's in" Elijah told her_**

**_"This is ridiculous, I'm going after him" Rebekkah said as she turned to leave but Elijah had grabbed on to her arm to prevent her from going far_**

**_"Trust me" Elijah whispered sternly as Rebekkah just glared at her brother_**

**_"He has nowhere to go" Rebekkah replied_**

**_"He has somewhere, it may not be the place that we like but he has somewhere to go" Elijah told her as he let go of his grip on her "We'll be staying longer…he needs to do this on his own" he told her_**

**_"And then what? We just let him die! You're sending him out there to die Elijah" Rebekkah replied_**

**_"He'll find a way back. It may not seem like it but he will figure this out. We just have to force him in to doing it sooner than later" Elijah told her as he walked towards the door "Inform Kol of the change of plans, we'll be staying longer" he told_**

**_"How long?" Rebekkah asked_**

**_"Until it's time" Elijah replied_**

**_[End of Flashback]_**

* * *

**[Present]**

It was the oddest of things but Caroline couldn't manage to shake the cravings that she was having. Getting up in the middle of the night, Caroline put her oversized sweater and threw her hair up into a sloppy bun before she quickly grabbed her car keys. Passing by her mother's room, Caroline sighed as she knew it was yet another late night down at the station. She'd hope that someday her mother would be able to give up the late nights and chasing the bad guys but she knew that'd be asking a lot. Blasting the radio as high as it could go, Caroline hummed along with her favorite songs as they came on the radio stations. Taking the long route home on the way home from the ice cream shop, Caroline couldn't help but miss the times that she used to take this route home on the way to see Klaus. Looking over in the open fields to where the house was, Caroline couldn't help but notice a light shining on the front porch of the house. Becoming a bit curious as to what was going on since the house has been vacated for three months going on four, Caroline pulled in to the driveway to a pleasant surprise. Caroline's mouth nearly dropped in shock as she gripped on to the steering wheel before he lifted his hands to shield his face.

"Klaus" Caroline said as she undid her seatbelt and got out of the car

"Who?" Niklaus asked as he continued to shield his eyes "Do you by any chance know of anyone that can help me get in to my house?" he asked

"You're back. Are you okay? Is everything okay?" Caroline asked as the concern finally started to kick in for her

"Yes, everything his fine except the fact that I can't seem to get in to my bloody house" Niklaus griped as Caroline couldn't help but laugh at his usual phrase that he loved to use in times, when he's frustrated

"I'd check under the mat, you usually did that when I'd forget mine" Caroline said

"Why would I do that?" Niklaus asked in confusion

"Because….I'd always forget that I stayed here. Robert just got used to leaving the door open for me" Caroline said as it was becoming painfully obvious that he didn't remember much of her or at least they're time together in the house "I can try if you want me to" she suggested

"I would like something. I've been driving for two days straight and I just really want to get something to eat and get some rest" Niklaus groaned as he ran his hand through his hair

"I'd hate to keep you from that" Caroline smiled weakly before she made her way up the few steps of stairs to look under the mat to see that no key was there. Looking back at Niklaus, Caroline could see his frustrations as she continued on with her attempt to see if she could get him back in the house. Pulling out a bobby pin from her sweater that she always kept handy, Caroline attempted to pick the lock as if she were some expert when really this was her first time in doing something this nifty.

"Having a problem?" Niklaus asked as he noticed her struggling with trying to open the door

"I'm having all sorts of problems" Caroline muttered to herself "It'll be just a second" she called out

"It's okay, I can just come back in the morning time when light is out or something" Niklaus replied

"Are you sure? because I think I almost have this" Caroline asked

"No, I don't think you have this and yes I'm very sure" Niklaus replied with a bit of a sarcastic grin "I guess that's my luck, running off to prove my brother right" he griped as Caroline tucked her bobby pin away and began to walk towards him

"Who? Elijah?" Caroline asked

"Yes….how do you know my brother?" Niklaus asked

"I would say how but I'm not sure you'd know what I'm talking about" Caroline replied as she wasn't quite eager to get into the reasons

"Probably" Niklaus laughed to himself as he once again began to play with his hair which only brought Caroline's attention towards his abdomen area as he still managed to stay on point "I'm sure I can find somewhere to sleep out here" he said observing the darkened areas before a silence came between them.

"I can take you to get something to eat….you said you were hungry so I can take you to get a bite from this burger place in town" Caroline suggested

"Burgers?" Niklaus questioned

"Yes, this is a good burger with very good fries. I know it's probably not the meal you want but it will tide you over and maybe you might even think of a way to get into your house" Caroline told him

"Seems a bit odd that you're inviting a stranger out to eat with you" Niklaus said

"Trust me, you're not a stranger" Caroline said as Niklaus looked at her strangely for a moment "If it makes you feel any better, we can introduce ourselves to keep it casual" she then said

"And I'd do that because?" Niklaus asked with a bit of skepticism

"Caroline Forbes" Caroline said as she stuck her hand out for him to shake

"Niklaus Michaelson" Niklaus replied as she had received her confirmation to know that Klaus didn't exist anymore, he was now Niklaus in every form.

"C'mon, let's get you eating" Caroline said as she forced a smile to keep the tears from forming in her eyes.

* * *

It was the only small diner that stayed open all night, it was like their Denny's of Mystic Falls. Since Caroline knew where to go, Caroline drove them to the diner while Niklaus rode shotgun. On the way over, Niklaus appeared to be timid of her as he actually saw her as a stranger to him. The silence became so evident in the car that Caroline feared that her tears would become the soundtrack for them both as in the inside she wanted to cry so badly that it hurt. The way he acted, the way he looked around as if he was a tourist, the way he kept switching his position in his seat; it was all like he was a stranger to her. Once they had made it to the diner, they quickly grabbed a seat and began to order their food. Niklaus showed no modesty as he got the biggest of burgers there was to be had and got extra fries along with a milkshake. Watching him eat, Caroline wasn't quite sure if she had ever seen him eat like this before.

"How long have you been traveling?" Caroline asked as she snacked on her fry

"Two days and some odd hours" Niklaus replied as he wiped the corners of his mouth

"You seem to eat like it" Caroline smiled "Where were you…if that's not being to personal?" she asked

"No, it's fine. I was…I was at a family house. It's a ways away, shorter in distance but I chose to take the longest route to clear my noggin" Niklaus replied

"Noggin" Caroline said as she laughed to herself "I forget or…you're British undertones" she said as she began to play with her fries. The silence lingered between them as he looked around at the others surrounding them. Most were laughing and carrying on like they had no care in the world while he felt like everything keeping him from being so carefree his brother wouldn't allow.

"So what's changed in Mystic Falls?" Niklaus asked "That is the name of the town still, is it?" he asked

"Yes, the town is still Mystic Falls" Caroline told him "Just how long have you been away?" she asked as she wanted to gage just how much of his memory he had

"Let's see, I remember the days when my father would have to hunt for his food as opposed to ordering it at a one stop shop" Niklaus told her "I guess my age isn't relevant to this day and age" he sighed

"No, you look good for your age, I guarantee you on that" Caroline laughed "Welcome to the new generation of cell phones and ipods" she told him

"What is that?" Niklaus asked

"Technology" Caroline replied as she couldn't help laugh at how clueless he was to everything. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline couldn't help but notice Elena walk in with Jeremy. Sharing a moment of eye contact, Elena looked as if she was surprised to see Klaus as she battled back and forth on whether to come over, but Caroline's quick movement had stopped her from doing so. "We should go" she said as she grabbed her purse

"What's wrong? Do you have to be somewhere?" Niklaus asked

"No, but we shouldn't just stay away from the house too long because then their might be intruders or something" Caroline rambled for excuses as she grabbed on to his hand and lead him out of the to keep up with her quick movements, Niklaus tried to piece together what was going on as he had no clue as to why the woman was acting so strange.

"Wait, can you slow up?" Niklaus asked

"Yes, as soon as we get in the car. I know a late night ice cream shop, that's if you want dessert" Caroline said before he finally ripped away from her hand

"What's going on?" Niklaus asked "I'm not just hopping in the car with you while you act like some crazy person. What was that back there?" he asked

"It was…I just saw someone that I wanted to avoid" Caroline reasoned as Niklaus just looked at her strangely for a few moments

"Can you just get me back home?" Niklaus asked before Caroline sighed in frustration as she knew she was blowing her chance at spending valuable time with Klaus or better yet, Niklaus.

"Yeah, I can do that" Caroline sighed

* * *

Pulling up in front of the house, Caroline turned the engine off in the car before she sat back in her seat. Looking at her nervously, Niklaus tried to figure out the best way to exit the car without sounding rude but he found there wasn't any polite way to say it. Caroline and Niklaus exchanged a few awkward smiles as they sat in the silence that surrounded him. Why was she so nervous? Caroline asked herself as she felt her stomach doing flips inside and out. Caroline wanted this to be the reunion she always wanted but knew at this point she was probably scaring him. In her mind, she had always envisioned him returning to Mystic Falls because he had remembered his love for her, his passion for her. Caroline just hoped that something about being around her would entice something in him so that he could remember.

"So tonight was awkward" Niklaus told her as he rubbed his legs

"Sorry about that. I just got caught up" Caroline said "I'm not crazy or anything" she then told him

"I never thought you were, are you?" Niklaus asked a bit unsure

"No, I mean at times I can be but that's just me shopping or studying history" Caroline laughed only to find that she was the only one laughing

"History isn't quite crazy. It's actually entertaining, sort of like the soap opera before it started showing on the tube" Niklaus said

"I get that, I just wish it didn't have to involve so many dates" Caroline said

"Yeah, maybe so" Niklaus smiled weakly "Thank you for the food and stopping. I enjoyed tonight" he said as he opened the door to get out while Caroline groaned in defeat as all she could do is watch him walk towards the porch. Feeling as if she couldn't allow him to just walk away, Caroline quickly hopped out of the car.

"Klaus wait!" Caroline called out as he turned around with a weird look on his face as he looked at her.

"Did I forget something? What?" Niklaus asked as he broke the silence between them

"I just…I just thought that since you're new to town or returning….I just wanted to help you" Caroline told him trying to hide the desperation

"I'm sure I can get the jest of everything" Niklaus replied

"Are you sure? because if you can't figure out how to get in your house this early in your return then you're bound to run in to some problems along the way" Caroline laughed nervously as they both stood there looking at each other

"Thank you for tonight" Niklaus told her as he forced a smile in attempt to not be rude "Goodnight Caroline Forbes" he then added

"Goodnight…Niklaus" Caroline sighed before he turned to walk up the porch. Watching him closely as she wondered how exactly he was planning to get into the house, Caroline's question was soon answered once he took the nearest pot to break in the window.

"Good old fashion breaking and entering" Niklaus muttered to himself before he entered the house just as Caroline turned to walk towards her car. Standing in the door way as he watched her pull out of the driveway, Niklaus couldn't help but feel like something was tugging at the core of his soul. It had been a nagging feeling that he had learned to deal with over the summer but while he found himself on the very grounds of his existence, it became more evident that this was where he was supposed to be to discover what his soul desired to end it constant nagging.

* * *

Tossing her keys on the entrance table once she made her way in to the house, Caroline ran her hand through her hair before she relieved herself of her jacket. Putting her jacket away in the closet, Caroline couldn't help but groan in frustration as nothing about this night had gone like she wanted it to go. Seeing that the light was on in the kitchen, Caroline could tell that her mother was up for her usual late night snack. Making her way into the living room, Elizabeth looked on at her daughter to see that she was far from gleeful since her usual late night excursions left her feeling guilty for being caught but happy that whatever she had to tend to was in good condition. Looking up to see her mother, Caroline forced a smile as she knew she'd have to explain her whereabouts even though she was old enough to come and go as she pleased.

"Hey, sorry for the late night entrance. I got a ice cream craving" Caroline sighed

"It's okay. I'm just happy you're here in one place" Elizabeth told her daughter "Chunky monkey?" she asked

"Rocky road. It seems to be the theme of my night" Caroline said

"Well maybe I could help adjust it to some sort of sherbert color that has rainbow in the title" Elizabeth told her daughter as Caroline thought to herself as to why her mother had put so much thought into the ice cream

"Okay, you've put too much thought into this. What do you have?" Caroline asked before Elizabeth turned to look towards the kitchen. Wondering what was going on with her mother, Caroline sighed as her impatient traits were getting the best of her. Emerging from the kitchen, Elena smiled weakly as she walked towards Caroline and her mother. Caroline looked on at her friend, unsure as to why she would come after months of minimal talks.

"I'll let you two talk" Elizabeth said before she looked at the two girls then headed upstairs

"So how long did it take for you to tell Damon and Stefan that he was back?" Caroline asked after a few moments of silence

"I didn't tell" Elena said "I figured it'd be something that they'd have to find out on their own" she said

"Oh" Caroline said a bit surprised that she didn't tell "What'd you do that for?" she asked

"I miss you" Elena said simply "I miss my friends….and I kind of just want things to go back to normal" she said as tears welled up in her eyes

"It's hard to go back when you're the one viewed as the traitor of the group. I mean nothing has changed….I still love him, and I'm not changing that just to have some sort of reconciliation" Caroline told her

"I don't care. I just want to be there for you" Elena said "I think you need someone to be there" she told her as she looked on at Caroline turn away from her eye contact

"You wouldn't like what I have to say" Caroline shrugged

"Try me" Elena replied

"He's not the same. I knew this before he even came back, but he's just…he doesn't even remember me" Caroline laughed through the tears that were welling up in her eyes "It's sad because the one bright spot to this summer, the only hour worth of fun I've had….it was just being his presence and even then, it was with a shell of who he was" she said

"If Klaus is not the same, then what is he now?" Elena asked

"Niklaus Michaelson" Caroline replied

* * *

The driver got out of the car and immediately walked around the car to open the door before Elijah stepped out. Giving a silent thanks to the driver for his hospitality, Elijah took in the sight of the abandoned warehouse before he continued to walk forward. Seeing a bit of light shine from the window, Elijah accessed the possible exits that he could take should things go bad as not even Kol nor Rebekkah were aware of his whereabouts. Opening the door, Elijah entered slowly before he quickly spotted a glass of whiskey being poured as he took a slow and lingering sip. Relieving himself of his coat, Elijah looked at each of the men before they all eventually met around the table. Robert, Mannex, Stefan, and Damon all slowly revealed their bits of information that they were assigned to gather before Elijah reached into his coat pocket to put down the a small brown book that was barely bound together.

"Well if this isn't a good case of show and tell" Damon said sarcastically as he finished off the rest of his drink before putting it down on the table while Robert began to look over what the others had brought. "I still don't get the point of this if we have the inside scoop, you two should start talking instead of leaving cryptic messages" he said

"It's not that simple. We're in new ground with this" Robert replied as he pulled up a chair as he feverishly went through the items

"And Klaus?" Stefan asked

"You mean Niklaus, he's back" Elijah said "I've kept my end of the bargain" he said

"Whoa, Niklaus? Changing the name doesn't make him any less of a serial killer" Damon replied

"That's the persona that he took on as the new version of himself" Mannex said

"Does that mean he'll take on the full persona of Niklaus?" Stefan asked as he looked on at Mannex

"He may have bits of Klaus in him, but it has to be triggered and along with that will come the voices. Until he learns to handle all that he's done then Klaus has been repressed in order for Niklaus to exist" Mannex told him

"So we have cryptic messages, apparently a Niklaus Michaelson in the form of a serial killer named Klaus, and nothing to really ease my nerves of why we all have to gather for dire consequences" Damon concluded

"Do you always find the need to talk?" Mannex asked quickly

"Only when I need to access who gets to my nerves first because then it makes killing that person less painful in the guilt department" Damon said

"What does all this stuff mean?" Stefan asked "Our blood line and our ancestors, clearly this has to do with our family" he said

"It can't be" Robert said to himself as he drew the attention of everyone else

"If it is hard to believe it is because the unthinkable is well on it's way to being accomplished" Mannex told them "The Covenant has waged war on your kind" he said

"War? Why?" Stefan asked

"The balance of power has been disturbed. A order was sent to kill the abomination of species, which was not followed through" Mannex said as Robert once again felt the words pointed towards him more than anything

"Okay, so we kill Klaus or Niklaus then we get on with things and The Covenant can go about their business" Damon suggested

"Except killing my brother will not be an option. I wonder what abomination you'd serve as?" Elijah asked

"How do we avoid this?" Stefan asked

"There's no way of avoiding. This has been coming for some time now, it's just finally brewed in to enough reasoning to end a species" Mannex said

"Species? As in what? All vampires?" Damon asked as Mannex's silence confirmed his suspicions

"When?" Stefan asked

"There is no set time or date for The Covenant. You're dealing with the craftiest of opponents that can kill you at any time they see fit, any key that can wipe out your kind and it will happen. They can disguise themselves as the friendliest of people in hopes of gaining access to the key" Mannex said

"So then they're after my family?" Elijah asked

"No…I mean you're deemed as The Original but a creature far more powerful surfaced to create you. You're the most notorious of the species, but you're the mere stepping stone to what they're really after to truly diminish the species as a whole" Robert said "The Lycan" he said

"I don't get it" Stefan replied

"It means brother that whoever created Niklaus or Klaus, that's who they're after to kill us" Damon sighed

"They're after Klaus's biological father" Elijah concluded


	2. What the Heart Wants and Needs

**Author's Note: Hey everyone. Sorry it took me some time to get to this story but I had to finish up another story that I was working on. I'm happy to get back to Vampire Diaries mode as I can't wait for the Season Four, especially to see Klaroline scenes. So I hope you enjoy the chapter and I would love to hear what you guys think.**

**Remember that Klaus refers to himself as Niklaus now since that's the persona he's taken on, but everyone still see's him as Klaus.**

* * *

**_Niklaus_**

**Chapter Two- What the Heart Wants and Needs**

Jotting down her notes, Caroline eagerly looked up at the board once more to see what else the teacher had added to the days lesson before she began her own modification of the notes. For the most part, Caroline was happy that she was grasping the lesson but she couldn't help but feel tired from the lack of sleep she was getting. The only thing pushing her through the day was the pending idea of her getting to come home to a nice fluffy bed that was waiting for her to just enjoy. Once the class was dismissed, Caroline lazily made her way out of the her aisle of where she sat to where she was now making her way out into the halls. Heading out towards the courtyard, Caroline could see that the latest campus event was Greek life, which was just advertising who had the best parties of the weekend. Normally she would be eager to check out said Greek life, but sleep was winning out the battle of what she wanted to do. Making her way towards the car, Caroling glanced up from her phone to see that Klaus was walking down the pathway. Stopping in sheer shock, Klaus could tell that he was the last person that she expected to see and from the looks of things, he looked like he had intent of coming to the school.

"Uh…Klaus, what are you doing here?" Caroline asked as she adjusted the strap on her bag while she noticed the confused look that "I meant to say Niklaus, sorry" she told him "But still my question remains, what are you doing here?" she asked

"I wasn't exactly thrilled to spend a fun filled day at the house….so I decided to enroll in some art classes" Niklaus told her "I wasn't aware that you even came here" he said as Caroline forced a smile because the Klaus that she knew, knew that school was one of her struggles that she conquered just because he believed in her

"Yeah, I come here" Caroline smiled weakly "Are you sure this is the best thing? I mean maybe you could work in your art studio out back or go swimming or something" she then suggested

"All of which I have no interest in doing. Look, I'm not exactly asking for permission but I do think this is where I want to be" Niklaus told her

"I get that. I just think with you dealing with…" Caroline began to say

"What am I dealing with?" Niklaus quickly asked

"You know, you being new" Caroline sighed as she knew he wouldn't understand the past

"Thank you for the concern, I appreciate it, really. I just want to keep myself occupied in the sense of not wanting to pull my hair out from boredom" Niklaus told her as he began to walk past her since he was growing tired of the conversation

"Have you at least gotten your daily blood?" Caroline questioned as he turned to look at her in disbelief as she was saying the exact same thing that Elijah would pressure him about. Quickly walking up towards her, Niklaus just looked at her for a moment "And from the look on your face, I'll take that as a no and a clear reasoning why you can't come here" she then stated

"I'm not some damn scoundrel" Niklaus uttered under his breath "What is with the bloody blood thing?!" he asked

"It's how you survive…" Caroline began to say

"No, it's not how I survive because I survive by being normal, which I'm trying to be" Niklaus told her

"I get that, but here isn't a place where you can try…people expect things from you and want you to know facts" Caroline told him

"So you think I'm dumb?" Niklaus asked quickly

"Trust me, you're not dumb….you may be a serial killer, but that's a mastery you've turned into an art" Caroline stated

"What?" Niklaus asked in confusion as to what she was saying

"Sorry, it's a habit…look, how did you even…why is it all starting to make sense now" Caroline began to say before the idea hit her as to how the magical idea of going to said school Caroline was going to hit her. Scanning the crowd of people that walked through the courtyard, Caroline was able to spot out a disguised Robert hiding behind the bushes nearby "Robert! Come here now!" she yelled as she stormed over towards him leaving Niklaus even more confused as to what was going on

"Ms. Caroline, you look nice today" Robert said quickly trying to make small talk as Niklaus walked over towards them

"Why did you send him here?!" Caroline questioned "You know he's in no condition to go to school" she said

"I'm more than capable of speaking for myself and making my own decision. So I would kindly ask for you to back off and stop trying to tell me what to do" Nikluas said as he looked over at Caroline with a bit of sass "And you really shouldn't hide in the bush old man, makes you look pippy cock. Now if you'll excuse me, I have class" he said before he adjusted the strap on his book bag before he walked off

"I can't believe you!" Caroline said hitting Robert on the arm

"Shouldn't you fear that as a warlock I could hurt you?" Robert asked

"You've done enough damage" Caroline replied "What possessed you to do this?!" she asked

"He was bored" Robert replied

"Why are you even around him?!" Caroline asked

"Oh, c'mon. You can't expect me to not want to fix things" Robert said "I still care" he said

"Yes well, you're caring got us into this mess to begin with and now your caring makes me have to stay longer than intended on campus to make sure lost and confused boy doesn't get pummeled by anyone" Caroline said as she began to back away

"I just wanted to help you guys" Robert sighed as he spoke to himself

* * *

For the better part of the day, Caroline found herself doing every thing possible to shield Niklaus or who she perceived to be Klaus from anything that could disrupt his train of thought. A few embarrassing moments in his art class, Caroline could only hope that he soon learned the correct way to act in a classroom setting. Interacting with the campus jocks was a path best deferred for him and Caroline ensured that it would continue to be for the time being or until he came to his senses about the whole school thing. Then for times when she wouldn't be around, Caroline saw fit for him to have his own trustee assistant that would guide him to his classes until he learned them on his own. Caroline was sure that she had taken the necessary precautions for his school day to be good and could only wait eagerly to see what he thought of his day thus far. Coming out of his last class, Niklaus immediately spotted Caroline waiting for him before he groaned in frustration as he did his best to pass her.

"So how was it?" Caroline asked as she tried to keep up with his furious pace

"You mean before or after you made it your mission to embarrass me today" Niklaus stated sarcastically

"Embarrass you?! I was trying to make sure you had a good day without any problems. Trust me, on my first day, hazard ensued in so many different ways" Caroline said

"That's your story, not mine!" Niklaus replied angrily before he turned around to face Caroline while she did all she could not to run into him in the process "What is your deal?!" he questioned

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked

"I mean what is your need to always be there. I come out of class and you're there. Like some sort of bloody watcher" Niklaus said

"I told you, I was trying to make you…." Caroline began to say

"I don't need your protection" Niklaus sighed "I just need you to leave me alone" he exclaimed

"I was just trying to help" Caroline reasoned

"And you've been trying to help since the moment I've met you and I don't understand it but yet there you are…helping!" Niklaus replied unable to hide his frustration before he turned to walk away so he could avoid saying something that he would regret. Just as Niklaus was thinking about his course of action, Caroline found that they were being approached by a group of girls that happened to be associated with one of the greek houses.

"Hi, we're from Phi Beta and we just wanted to invite you and your girlfriend to a party we're throwing this weekend" The girl said as she handed Niklaus the invitation

"Oh, she's not my girlfriend" Nikluas quickly replied as she looked up at Caroline with a bit of a smirk while she glared back at him

"He won't be needing this. He has studies to catch up on" Caroline said grabbing the invitation out of Niklaus's hand before she handed it back to the girl

"I thought you weren't his girlfriend?" The girl asked

"….I'm not, but…." Caroline began to say

"Then I think he's free to make his own decision" The girl said as she knew she got the best of Caroline in this round

"I do believe she has a point. You're not my decision maker and I….." Niklaus began to say before he grabbed the invitation from the girl once more "…would love to go to this festive occasion" he said

"You do know what greek life entails, right?" Caroline asked as she looked at him in disbelief

"Only the greatest time of your life" The girl smiled seductively at Niklaus

"Yeah, no. It's not your scene" Caroline said stepping in front of the girl so Niklaus would think with the proper head

"I will be there. It was nice meeting you….I haven't caught your name" Niklaus said as he looked around Caroline to look at the girl

"Jessica" Jessica replied happily

"Jessica, what a lovely name" Niklaus smiled "I look forward to seeing you" he told her before she slowly walked away to join her giddy friends as they celebrated in her catch of the day. Turning to look at Niklaus, Caroline glared at him as she couldn't believe that he would be that naïve to fall into the clutches of greek life parties and the girls that promoted its provocative side.

"Going to a party is not your thing, I guarantee you that" Caroline exclaimed as she followed behind him

"Its for me to find out" Niklaus told her

"I'm not stalking you for the hell of it, I'm doing you a favor and this is the end of the line of me being there" Caroline added

"Thank you, I need to have some semblance of peace to your self promoted chaos you've added to my day" Niklaus said before he glanced back at her as he unlocked his car. Throwing his books into the passenger seat, Niklaus looked at her once more before getting into the car

"A you're welcome would suffice" Caroline stated as he turned the engine on then began to rev it. "I mean it. You won't see me anymore" she said talking over the roar of the engine

"I'm holding you to that" Niklaus yelled out before he pulled out of the parking spot and took off in a flash of an eye.

* * *

Pulling into the driveway of the oversized mansion, Niklaus breathed a sigh of relief to finally have the end of his day come. Grabbing his books and book bag, Niklaus got out of the car and began to make his way towards the front door. Noticing that the door was slightly ajar, Niklaus walked up cautiously, fearing that someone had broken into the house. The closer he walked, Niklaus couldn't help but wonder what his action would be since his strength has dwindled a bit from his protests of the supposed blood that he was supposed to be drinking. Hearing the voice of his brother arguing with someone else, Niklaus quickly opened the door to find Elijah along with a dark haired man, who wore a cocky grin on his face. Setting his books to the side, Niklaus looked on at the both of them as if they had just been caught in the act or something.

"This is cute, he's going to school now" Damon told Elijah as Elijah just rolled his eyes at Damon's remark

"Elijah, who is this?" Niklaus asked as he walked towards his brother

"Damon Salvatore. I'm the guy that has tried numerous times to kill you" Damon said as he extended his hand towards Niklaus, which Niklaus showed no effort to shake "Let me guess, you're now the self proclaimed Niklaus now?" he asked

"I think you're visit has served it's purpose, I'm annoyed, now go" Elijah told Damon

"Not until I get my own confirmation" Damon replied as he observed Nicklaus "Can I call you Niklaus or Klaus?" he asked

"Can I call you jack or ass?" Niklaus quickly asked as Damon laughed to himself

"Well he doesn't have Klaus's british like quirks" Damon smirked "For the million dollar question….why are you here?" he asked as he faced Niklaus

"Do you hang with blokes like this now Elijah?" Niklaus asked as he looked around Damon towards Elijah

"Oh, no. Elijah is far more upscale" Damon replied just as the door opened once more with Robert walking through "And another added member with much at stake" he declared

"Does anyone want to tell me why the hell my house has turned into a free for all?!" Niklaus questioned

"You both should go" Robert suggested as he looked on at Elijah and Damon

"I don't think so" Elijah replied

"I'm interested in leaving, I just don't choose to at the moment" Damon replied as he folded his arm "How do I know this whole memory loss thing isn't just a ploy for his overall plan?" he asked

"You two will go" Robert said sternly

"Or else what?" Elijah asked as the tension in the room began to build between Elijah and Robert "He's my brother, I will see him through" he told him

"And he's my responsibility" Robert replied

"And he's just a pain in my ass" Damon added for the sake of talking

"You can't antagonize him into remembering. You think you can but it doesn't happen like that" Robert told Elijah

"And you're path of letting him wander about…." Elijah began to say

"Okay, enough!" Niklaus replied "Everyone needs to stop treating me like some insipid child!….this man is the only one that seems to grasp the fact that I'm not who you guys want me to be" he said as Elijah studied his brother for a while

"He hasn't drank….is this your idea of taking care of things?" Elijah asked as he looked towards Robert

"He'll die sooner than anticipated" Damon smiled "I don't care to stay for the rights of who gets to protect Klaus but if he resorts back to his original plan….then I'll kill him myself" he said as he made his way towards the door before he left

"I don't have time for this, I have somewhere to be" Niklaus said as he walked over towards the staircase

"We need to talk Klaus" Elijah stated as Niklaus turned to look at his brother, clenching his fists tight at Elijah constant effort to put Niklaus into this Klaus role

"I'm not talking. I have a gathering to attend" Niklaus said calmly and cold

"A gathering?" Elijah questioned

"I trust you can see yourself out" Niklaus said before he made his way up the staircase

"Let us be clear on one thing….I don't trust you" Elijah said sternly as his anger began to show

"I don't need you to trust me" Robert replied after he opened the door for Elijah to leave

* * *

Watching the blonde pace the floor, Elena sat on the edge of her friend's bed just trying to process the thought process that Caroline was blurting out from time to time. Receiving a text from Damon, Elena was sure that whatever had Caroline all riled up had something to do with Klaus. Elena could only watch Caroline pace as she just waited for her opportunity to help in any way shape or form. It had been a long road but Elena was just glad that Caroline sought her advice like she used to. Elena's only hope was that along the way, Caroline and Bonnie would be able to mend their fracture relationship so that they could all return to the friends they once were but Elena knew that it would have to be on their terms.

"I have to go. That's my only option in this" Caroline blurted out as she turned to face Elena

"What exactly is your only option? Where are you going even?" Elena questioned

"This party at Phi Beta" Caroline said

"I thought you weren't into the party scene anymore?" Elena questioned

"I'm not but as some effort to piss me off, Niklaus let some blonde bat her eyes at him and is now going" Caroline sighed

"So is this jealousy?" Elena asked

"No, I just think that he shouldn't go to a greek party of things. I mean you've heard about Phi Beta parties, something always happens there and not the good things" Caroline said

"I don't really pay attention to the party circuit" Elena laughed

"I just recently did…I may have googled some websites" Caroline said as Elena just looked at her

"You're jealous" Elena smiled

"I'm not, I just….he's this whole different person and I'm just trying to steer him into the right direction before all this end of the world stuff happens" Caroline said

"In the direction that would remember that he loved you" Elena said

"Elena, romance isn't what's at risk here. If Klaus remains Niklaus then we'll all die. I need him to remember so that we have a fair fight…what if that blonde was one of the Covenant chicks. I mean Damon did say that these supposed witches could disguise themselves into anything or anyone" Caroline said

"I doubt the Covenant would strike through a greek party but if you need justification to go, then I think you should go to check out the scene and make sure he won't be attacked by said Covenant" Elena told her

"I'm being serious and yet I feel like your patronizing me" Caroline sighed as she walked over to take a seat beside Elena on the bed "Why does our lives always have to be life and death all the time?" she asked

"We're cursed in that way" Elena smiled "Do you miss him? The real Klaus?" she asked

"…what I feel is irrelevant. I just need him to come back so he'll be able to defend himself. This has to be about the overall mission and that is to protect everyone" Caroline said after a moment of silence as if she had to say it to convincer herself. Getting up from the bed, Caroline looked over Elena's attire before she took to her closet full of clothes "And you need a change of outfit" she declared

"Why?" Elena asked

"Because we're going on the party circuit. We have an Original to look after" Caroline smiled as Elena just shook her head in disbelief at the things she allowed herself to get sucked in to.

* * *

Getting out of the car, Niklaus found it hard to keep his focus on trying to lock his car and observe the ensuing mayhem that was the party awaiting him. Playing with the zipper on his jacket nervously, Niklaus walked up towards the house as he just kept going over the fact that this was attempt to be normal. Niklaus more than determined to prove that he wasn't this blood hound that Elijah had made him to be along with everyone else, Niklaus wanted to be what he always saw himself as, normal. Entering into the house, Niklaus was immediately greeted by the nearest drunken catastrophe that was puking within range of his eye sight. Wearing a look of disgust, Niklaus avoided the path he had originally planned to take before he realized that Caroline and friend were walking over towards him. Not surprised that she'd magically show up out of thin air, Niklaus just saw it as her new past time.

"Look who's here" Caroline said as she dragged Elena behind her so that she could show her decoy "Niklaus, this is Elena. Elena this is Niklaus" she introduced the two as Niklaus extended his hand out towards Elena

"Nice to meet you" Niklaus sighed as Elena was a bit taken aback to see that he was actually unaware of her and what she meant to him in his original scheme.

"Same" Elena shook his hand before glancing over at Caroline to show her disbelief

"See, I wasn't exaggerating" Caroline leaned in to tell Elena before pulled her hand back from Nicklaus "Are you having a good time?" she then asked as she looked over at Niklaus

"I just arrived Caroline, but then you'd know that, wouldn't you?" Niklaus said as he forced a smile

"I wouldn't because I've been in here enjoying myself. Dancing, drinking, drinking and dancing" Caroline told him as she played her role

"I'm sure" Niklaus told her

"How have you been adjusting to Mystic Falls?" Elena asked breaking the tension between the two

"Good. If only I could manage to shake this pesky blonde, then it'd be great" Niklaus said as he eyed Caroline who just glared at him

"You should learn manners, they'll keep you from being staked" Caroline quickly replied

"Why would I be staked?" Niklaus questioned as he once again didn't get the vampire reference

"Staked as in slapped" Elena jumped in to say "It's a form of slang around here" she laughed nervously before a fight broke out causing the crowd to get riled up. Being pushed into Niklaus, Caroline looked over to see that the longer the party went on the chaos only ensued. Just as Caroline pulled herself together, Caroline looked up to see Tyler walking towards them.

"Hey guys" Tyler said as he stared on at Nicklaus "Klaus" he said greeting Niklaus

"I would love to meet this Klaus guy because you guys seem to love him so" Niklaus said to himself as he extended his hand out towards Tyler to introduce himself "The name is Niklaus" he told him

"Niklaus…." Tyler said a bit confused before he looked over toward Caroline and Elena to see that they were nodding in agreement to go along with the ruse "You're not joking" he said finally understanding the situation

"Yeah, Niklaus has no clue of Klaus and I've tried to explain it to him" Caroline sighed

"For personal reasons, I'm sure" Tyler said as Caroline just looked at him with sadness in her eyes because it was yet another constant reminder for him to see that her heart hadn't belonged to him

"Maybe we should go get something to eat, there's this grill that you'd like" Caroline said as she looked over towards Nicklaus "It's getting a bit crazy in here" she said

"And I will politely decline. I was invited and I intend to stay to see….there she is" Niklaus told her just as Jessica walked up to give Nicklaus a hug

"So glad you made it" Jessica said drunkenly

"I don't think she'll be much fun since she's all ready trashed" Caroline said as she observed Jessica's drunken behavior

"Yeah, I don't think she even registers who you are at this point" Elena said

"Look, I appreciate talking to you guys but I'm choosing to stay" Niklaus told them

"There you go. You rock!" Jessica declared as she wrapped her hands around her neck "Take me upstairs" she then whispered in his ear as Caroline caught on to what she was saying as all she could do was glare at the girl

"Okay, the protest is going too far Niklaus. Come with me before things get out of control" Caroline said sternly

"It's not your call Caroline" Niklaus said as tried to dodge Jessica's lips that were coming at him "Leaving her down here will only lead to bad things" he said

"And you taking her upstairs will lead to what? You talking about politics?" Caroline questioned "You don't have to be an ass to me to prove a point. Don't go upstairs" she told him

"It was nice meeting you guys" Niklaus told them before he dragged Jessica over towards the staircase to carry her up

"Do you think he'll do anything?" Elena asked as Caroline kept her eyes on Niklaus and Jessica

"He wouldn't. He's not thirst deprived to try anything" Caroline sighed as she ran her hand through her hair

"You want to bring him back but he doesn't wan to come back. Maybe you should back off and let him learn his own fate….all of us had to go through it, so should he" Tyler told Caroline

"We need him Tyler. If he doesn't return to being the jackass we all know him as, then…." Caroline began to say

"It's getting easier now, huh?" Tyler asked as he laughed to himself "You tell yourself we all need him but we don't. We just tolerate him because we have no clue about this so called Covenant but once we do, he will die, it's him or us and I'm not buying into this guy you think he is" he told her "He's gone. You should get used to that so when Damon kills him it won't be that much of a heartbreak for you" he said before he walked off.

* * *

Finding it more difficult than he had anticipated, Niklaus did his best to get Jessica to a spare bedroom so that she could sleep off the alcohol. Niklaus knew that it probably looked bad but he knew his intentions were never to take advantage of the girl in her weakened state. Opening up the door to the vacated room, Jessica sauntered into the room laughing hysterically while Niklaus trailed behind. Feeling the strain of having to lug her around, Niklaus felt a bit weakness as he attempted to walk. Flopping down on the bed, Jessica smiled happily as she looked on at Niklaus.

"You should probably splash water in your face or something" Niklaus told her

"And why is that?" Jessica smiled as she got up from her seat beginning to unbutton her top

"Because it could make you more alert. I hardly think you sleeping in here not fully alert as to what's going on is a good idea" Niklaus told her

"But I'll have you with me" Jessica smiled as she attempted to lean in to kiss him

"No, I actually think I should go" Niklaus replied "I've had my fun but this isn't my scene" he laughed nervously as he continued to dodge her kisses "But you should sleep and rest off the alcohol" he told her

"I can just sleep with you" Jessica laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck while Niklaus kept trying to fight off her kisses. Noticing his eyes narrow in on her neck, Niklaus felt a strong urge come over him ask as he felt her heartbeat at an accelerated pace that drew his attention.

"I'm not that guy you want" Niklaus said trying to fight her off

"But you are" Jessica said as she began to take her blouse off

"Stop" Niklaus told her

"I want you" Jessica quickly replied

"Stop" Niklaus told her once more as her arms came flying about but nothing kept his concentration off of her neck "Stop!" he said finally pushing against the urge that was trying to seduce him before he realized that he had shoved her against the wall.

"Ow! You asshole!" Jessica groaned as Niklaus looked on in horror by his actions

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I was just…I did it to protect you" Niklaus reasoned as he felt himself become more fragile by the minute. Unable to take the sight of what he had done, Niklaus quickly took off running. Unsure of how and why he did what he did, Niklaus couldn't shake the prospect of why he craved her blood. It was like he needed it more than he needed anything and that idea scared him into the worst of frights. Rushing out, with no regards to who or what was in his way, Niklaus ran over towards his car.

* * *

Dropping Elena off at her house, Caroline swore that she would spend the rest of the night locked away in her room watching chick flicks but Caroline didn't feel the need to rush back to the house. A part of her felt sad, which she knew that her mother would pick up on and that would lead to her having to explain the why. Caroline wasn't sure why her heart ached as much as it did, when what she had wanted all summer long had come back to her. She'd wish for his return but a part of her just never thought that things would be like this. Having half the mind to head back towards the party to tell him off, Caroline was ready to storm into the frat house but found herself stopping short. Walking over towards the bench that sat off in the sitting area across the way from the house. Taking a seat on top of the table, Caroline just looked on at the house while she just thought to herself.

"Seems like an unruly mess" Robert said as he made his way out of the shadows as he walked towards her "May I sit with you?" he asked stopping short of the table

"If you must" Caroline sighed as she moved over to let him sit down beside her before they sat in a moment of silence

"So on a scale, just how much longer do I have to go before getting back in your good graces again?" Robert asked as he turned to look at her

"You've got ways to go" Caroline said as he nodded to comply "But I'm not mad at you. I hated how it all went down, but I was never mad" she told him

"I wouldn't blame you if you were" Robert said "I just…as a member, I was sent to do a job. No questions. Just do the job. The more I got to know him, the more he needed me…I saw that he wasn't the bad guy, he just had bad things happen to him" he said "We're so used to regarding ourselves as monsters and creatures that we forget the goal is to know the instincts of right and wrong" he said

"I thank you for the right. I just wish it didn't hurt this bad" Caroline smiled weakly at him

"He was capable of good, I'm sure of that" Robert said

"I know" Caroline laughed to herself "I felt his soul, I felt the good that he was becoming" she smiled

"It was the three of us but it felt real. It felt like nothing wrong could happen….I never regretted my choice until that day, that moment when you had to let go. That was the only time I regretted my choice because I knew that even though he'd live, you'd hurt because of it" Robert said

"As happy as I am that he's alive, I can't even lie to you and say that it still doesn't hurt" Caroline said as she began to play with the jewelry on her hands "I find myself missing him. Even though he's here in the physical sense, I find myself missing him….and I guess it's starting to look like I'm losing my mind" she smiled weakly

"You were close to him, it's to be expected you'd miss him" Robert reasoned

"Yeah, but I keep telling myself that I want him to come back so we can all live to see another day with no fear of this Covenant. But I miss him beyond the reasons I've tried to convince myself to buy into. I miss him because I need him. I miss him because I still love him and I just never thought I'd hurt this way" Caroline laughed to herself as tears welled up in her eyes "I remember when I broke up with my ex-boyfriend, Klaus told me it wasn't love that I missed, it was the relationship. I never understood and then I eventually got over it, which ultimately made him right. But this time, I miss the love. My heart is breaking because I need the love that holds it together and I can't tell my heart otherwise" she told him

"He's still there" Robert told her

"No, I really don't think he's there" Caroline said as tears streamed down her face "I'm hoping that he'll remember something, me, just something to remember but the more I try to be around….he just gets annoyed and I just don't know if it's me wishing or me not accepting the reality. The reality that Niklaus is who he was always supposed to be" she reasoned just as they were torn from their conversation by the demonstrative talk of the girls across the way.

"That asshole pushed me. We were talking and then he just flipped out on me" Jessica said loudly as she scanned around the open areas in search of Niklaus. Quickly rising from her seat, Caroline looked over towards the girl

"Oh, no" Caroline said to herself

"What?" Robert asked

"I have to get to him" Caroline said as she immediately pulled her keys out

"Hey! That girl would know where the asshole is!" Jessica yelled out as she spotted Caroline walking towards her car

"Where are you going?" Robert asked softly so that the crowd coming towards them wouldn't here

"I can't tell you for obvious reasons, but I think I have an idea as to where he might be" Caroline told him before she got in the car.

* * *

Not caring as to how and where she parked her car once arriving at the mansion, Caroline quickly got out of the car and ran up towards the front door. She had been there too many times to concern herself with being polite as her only thought was to find Niklaus to see if everything was fine. Caroline could only hope that news of what happened at the party wouldn't get back to Damon, but even that wasn't really registering to her completely but just the well being of Niklaus or Klaus in her mind. Giving up on the option of using the front door, Caroline quickly ran around back in her vampire speed. Noticing that the studio door was slightly ajar, Caroline slowly entered as she stopped to take in the sight of him. Standing in the midst of all his work with his clothes disheveled, Niklaus turned to face Caroline as she quickly noticed the blood that was dripping from his lips. Standing in bewilderment, Niklaus made a minimal attempt to clean his appearance as Caroline just stood.

"I apparently have a cold box full of blood in the basement" Niklaus replied as he tossed the bag to the floor to show Caroline

"I knew you didn't do anything. You're not the person anymore" Caroline said

"I'm not a person! I'm an bloody animal!" Niklaus yelled as he tried to compose himself "I drank blood like I needed it. I drank it to fulfill the urge….no person does that" he reasoned

"You do it to live. That's how you survive, that's how I survive" Caroline told him

"And what? I'm supposed to feel some kindred bond to the fact that we're alike. We drink blood, let's have a tea party to celebrate" Niklaus replied sarcastically

"You don't have to be an ass" Caroline replied

"What do you want me to be?" Niklaus asked after a few moments had passed between them before he walked up towards her "What do you need from me in order for you to realize that what we share is nothing?" he asked. Glaring back at him in disbelief, Caroline pushed Niklaus as she finally had enough of his snark like comments

"I want you to stop acting like I'm the bane to your existence" Caroline replied as she pushed him once more as all he could do was fall back "I want you see that I'm just trying to help you" she told him

"You're not helping me, you're trying to make me into something that I'm not" Niklaus told her

"Look around, just look around at every bit of work in here" Caroline told him as he begrudge looked to see the thousands upon thousands of portraits that were of her and other pieces of art "I was something to you. I was your existence and although I was too stubborn to realize it, you meant something to me that I never thought anyone could" she said

"You're in love with the infatuation, I can understand…." Niklaus began to say

"No, I was and still am in love with the guy that saw something in me that I hadn't even dared to see in myself" Caroline quickly told him

"It's a painting, big deal" Niklaus replied after a few moments as he could feel her emotions breaking through to where he began to feel guilty for how he treated her

"You don't get to belittle this. If you have no recollection of what this was to you and I, then you don't get to belittle these so called paintings" Caroline told him as she wiped away the tears "You're right, I'm trying to make you something you're not. I'm wishing for you to be him and I think the more I talk with you, the more I realize that you could never be him. He loved me and I loved him, I was to blind to see it but I loved him. You have his face, you have his body, you have everything it takes to qualify as him but you don't have the soul that I fell in love with and for that I'm sorry" she told him

"And I'm sorry too" Niklaus said as he could feel a pain emerge in his heart, like something about this moment wasn't right but he wouldn't dare to question it in her presence

"So I won't bother you. I won't be around but you do have to accept that you were never normal. You were abnormal….you were and still are extraordinary, and that's something both you and Klaus can figure out on your own" Caroline said before she turned to head towards the door making no effort to look back "I'll see you around school" she said before she left as all he could do was watch her leave.

* * *

Sitting in the crowded bar, the bartender placed a drink in front of Robert as he looked up to give a smile of gratitude. Knocking back the drink, Robert put the glass down on the table as he just sat staring at the prisms on the glass. One by one, Elijah and Damon along with Stefan joined Robert as both parties were unaware as to why they were there. Sitting in silence, they all wondered about what they were called for but knew that Robert was the one to initiate and discuss the topics at hand. Observing the crowded restaurant, Damon began to pick up on the key aspects as to why Robert chose such a place but would only leave his suspicions to himself and hoped that Stefan was gathering the same information that he was. Sitting up in his seat, Robert folded his arms as he began to gather his thoughts before he decided to speak.

"I want you both to back off" Robert stated

"Excuse me?" Elijah asked

"I want you both to back off. Stay away. Leave be. Whatever terminology you need to grasp the fact" Robert said

"I don't bow down to the likes of strangers" Elijah laughed to himself

"And I don't exactly follow rules" Damon said as he began to snack on the peanuts

"I suspected you'd say that" Robert smiled before he reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a black silk scarf. Extending the scarf out to it's greatest length, Robert looked on at the scarf and began to play with it playfully

"I don't have time for this" Damon scoffed as he looked over at Stefan for them to leave

"No, no. Not yet" Robert replied as he quickly looped the scarf to begin tugging on both ends of the scarf. Quickly and feverishly, Elijah and Damon began to grab for their throats as they felt any passage way of air be cut off

"What are you doing?!" Stefan asked immediately

"I would full compliance to my wishes. Niklaus is my responsibility. He will learn his attributes needed to survive through me. He will not be bothered with remembering a past because as of now you're future is of greater concern. If said compliance should be broken, expect your bodies to be as well. Now do we have an agreement" Robert asked as Damon and Elijah both struggled to make it through "Do we?" he asked once more

"They can't breath!" Stefan yelled before Damon slammed his fist down onto the table

"Now we have an agreement" Robert replied before he extended the scarf out to it's greatest length once more "It was a pleasure" he said after he put his money down on the counter before he walked off like nothing happened.

* * *

**Author's Note: So Niklaus was a bit of an ass to Caroline in this chapter but that was only because he was tired of everyone telling him what to do or who he used to be. Niklaus has no recollection of Klaus, but he will have some connection to Klaus that will bind them together in emotions. The big thing is for Niklaus to accept and prepare for the pending battles he'll face, while Caroline is coming to terms with that Klaus may never return but can her heart comply with that. So things will get interesting, but I promise good Klaroline for you guys mixed with angst but good stuff. It'll be like re falling in love again for them both, so I'm excited :)**


	3. Slow and Steady

**_Niklaus_**

**Chapter Three- Slow and Steady**

Hearing the glaring sounds of his alarm going off, Niklaus remained underneath his pillow as he felt around to slap at his alarm clock. Finding his target harder to hit on the first couple tries, Niklaus felt a bit of relief once he was able to turn the alarm off. Breathing a sigh of relief, Niklaus rolled over onto his side as he succumb to his slumber once more. Drifting off into that haze of sleep, Niklaus once again heard his clock going off which erupted in daunting sounds that flooded his eardrums. Popping his head up from the pillow, Niklaus looked on at confusion to see that his clock wasn't even turned on let alone plugged in. Quickly sitting up in his bed, Niklaus looked over towards the corner of his room to find Robert sitting so casually in his chair as if he was awaiting Niklaus to awaken.

"You're running late" Robert replied

"How?" Niklaus questioned

"I'm a warlock, I've got my ways" Robert replied as Nikluas just sat in confusion

"Warlock. Vampire. Is there any other supernatural being I should know about so we can make this a all around freak show?" Niklaus asked

"Freak show wouldn't be the word I'd use" Robert replied before he spouted out a latin phrase that quickly caused the comforter on Niklaus's bed to fall to the floor without Niklaus consent "Though you should rise. We've got much to discuss before you begin your day" he said

"Have you gone mad old man?!" Niklaus asked as Robert reached over to grab the cup of tea that he had laced with the required blood that Niklaus would need

"You had your cravings the other night. Go without your supply of blood and you'll cause mayhem in places that you don't need to" Robert said as he walked over to hand Niklaus the cup

"What is this?" Niklaus asked as he frowned on at the cup

"Your regular spot of tea" Robert smiled

"I don't want it" Niklaus quickly replied finding no comfort in Robert's smile "I appreciate you standing up to my brother and whoever the dark haired bloke was, but I don't need a watcher" he said

"Drink" Robert said as Niklaus found his will to be taken away to where he had no option but to drink "Is this idea, no. You have to tend to your cravings and block out your urges. You left quite the mess at the party and have brought attention to yourself" he said

"It's not like I wanted to. I was trying to help the girl sleep off her sloshed state, and then next thing I know I'm staring at her neck" Niklaus sighed as he ran his hand through his hair while he sipped on his cup of tea

"As long as you had your self control to recognize that it was wrong. Means your soul is still very much in tact" Robert said just as Niklaus downed his cup of tea before he got up from the bed "That's a very good sign for you" he said to Niklaus as Niklaus headed into the bathroom

"Yeah, yeah. I'm pretty sure we all come equipped with souls" Niklaus replied as he turned the shower on

"Not quite. You need to learn exactly what you are, there are things coming your way that you must be prepared for" Robert said

"Yeah, it's called bloody midterms" Niklaus replied "By any chance, do you know how long the average female stays upset?" he asked rendering Robert confused

"I talk about the pending dangers, you ask about females? Are we missing the importance?" Robert asked

"No, I get you. I just…I may have not been on my best behavior the other night with Caroline. Granted she's a bit much…" Niklaus began to say

"You like that in her" Robert quickly added

"I really don't. I just feel bad for how I treated her" Niklaus added in response

"What did you do?" Robert asked

"Nothing that I care to share but is it safe to assume she's quote, unquote moved on from the situation. You know, I don't want the daily task of going to the same school house to be a bit awkward" Niklaus told him "I mean it's safe to assume she's cooled down, right?" he asked

"Depends…oh let's just be honest, a woman upset is a woman mad as the firey pitts of hell" Robert told him as Niklaus could only imagine what type of hell he was walking into.

"I should probably avoid her then" Niklaus said as he began to close the door to the bathroom

"We still need to talk!" Robert called out before the door slammed on him and he came to the realization that it was pointless "And it would be weird to talk about you being a vampire while you're taking a shower" he said to himself

* * *

Gathering her books, Caroline stuffed them away in her bag as she couldn't deny her chips craving that she was having. Feeling a bit upbeat over her grade that she got on one of her midterm test, Caroline was beginning to see an upside to the day rather than gloomfest she thought she'd be under. Coming to the realization on all things Klaus and Niklaus, Caroline felt as if she was stuck in that rut that she once thought she had over Tyler but found that it was different this time. Caroline missed him, but it was telling her heart not to miss him that was becoming the problem for her. Heading out of the campus bookstore after purchasing a bag of chips and soda, Caroline found herself bumping into the firm figure only to realize that it was a familiar figure that she had known. Sighing in frustration as Caroline found her attempt to avoid Niklaus had been rendered useless, all she could think to do was walk away.

"Caroline, wait!" Niklaus said as he followed quickly behind her

"Just go" Caroline sighed

"I can't just go, I go to school here" Niklaus replied

"Then just…just leave me alone" Caroline replied as she continued to weave in and out of the crowd of students that came their way

"Just listen to me" Niklaus said before he finally grabbed on to her arm to stop her from walking away from him

"I get it. I don't need you to put an exclamation point on the clear emphasis of what you want" Caroline said as she turned to face him

"Then you should block that out and accept my apology" Niklaus told her

"Apology? This is you apologizing to me?" Caroline questioned

"This is me admitting that I was a complete ass the other night" Nikluas told her "Is that the word you'd use?" he asked

"Ass would be a proper word for what you were" Caroline sighed

"I took my frustrations with how everyone was treating me out on you. I wasn't exactly liking that you were second guessing everything I was doing, so I just took it out on you" Niklaus told her "So I'm sorry and I don't want you think of me like that" he said

"I accept" Caroline said "But I still think we should avoid each other" she said adjusting the strap on her bag

"Which I understand….I just, I wanted to get your input on this whole urge thing. The other night, I found myself wanting to bite her…." Niklaus began to say as Caroline showed clear confusion on what she wanted to do. She wanted to be concerned but she knew she couldn't

"I can't really help you" Caroline quickly replied

"You're one of them, you're about the only person that can" Niklaus laughed

"Them? That word alone shows why I can't. Robert is more than willing to help, you should trust his guidance" Caroline said as she attempted to walk away

"I said I was sorry" Niklaus stated

"And I accepted but this is as about as much as I can give to you" Caroline replied before she walked off.

* * *

In the back of her mind, Caroline found herself thinking about her conversation with Niklaus earlier. She could only imagine the difficulty that Niklaus was having in trying to understand what he was but she had hoped that along the way he'd accept that he was a vampire. Caroline still found it a tricky to gage where Niklaus's memory stood at but she knew that she couldn't be the one to help him. As much as she wanted to see Niklaus as his own person, all Caroline could see was Klaus when she looked at Niklaus. It'd be the polite thing to do to help but her heart would only see him as the person that she was still very much in love with. Retiring to her room once the day of school was over, Caroline put on her most comfortable clothing on and lounged around in her room while she tried to study for her next exam. Just as she was deep in study mode, Caroline heard a knock come from the window. Looking up in surprise, Caroline looked over to see that it was Stefan slumped over waiting for her to open the window. Getting up from her bed, Caroline walked over to open the window up.

"What are you doing climbing through my window?" Caroline asked

"I didn't know if your mother was home and I kind of wanted to escape Damon's watch of me" Stefan said as he climbed through

"What is Damon doing now?" Caroline sighed

"He's becoming hasty with the Convenant lurking or coming in this situation" Stefan told her as she closed the window "I thought I'd come by to talk to you. We haven't really talked in a while" he said

"You mean you want to gage how I'm handling the not so Klaus that still very much looks like Klaus" Caroline concluded "Did Elena put you up to this?" she asked

"No, Elena has no idea that I'm here" Stefan told her "This is genuinely me being concerned" he told her as he took a seat on the edge of her bed while she joined him "So talk" he told her as he smiled at her

"He's struggling with dealing with the fact that he's a vampire. It was a close call the other night, but I do think his soul is the key thing keeping him in line" Caroline said "He came to me for help" she said

"And you turned him down….it hurt too much to be around him?" Stefan asked

"I feel bad. I feel like maybe I should've given him some bit of help" Caroline began to reason

"If you sacrifice what you feel in the process or what you're going through to get over him, then I think you did right because your heart wasn't going to be in line for that to happen" Stefan reasoned

"I hate all of this. I hate that we have these do or die situations. I mean he's supposed to remember the things that are important, I thought that if he'd come back then it would be because of me. I know it sounds selfish but I can't help it" Caroline said "I thought that once I admitted that I loved him then it would work. It would fall into place for us" she said

"It rarely does in Mystic Falls" Stefan sighed "But if it counts for anything, I do strongly believe that you love him and that he did love you" he said as a silence came between them

"Depressing to speak in past tense" Caroline sulked

"You'll get better. It will get easier" Stefan told her

"What was Niklaus like or what do you know of him?" Caroline asked

"Uh…well I had my bout more with Klaus but I got to know a bit of Niklaus" Stefan sighed as he dug his hand in his pockets of his jacket

"And how was he?" Caroline asked a bit intrigued

"He was a dreamer. He'd have his ideologies about the world, and I'd disagree because at that time I was traveling the world. Niklaus was bright and polite, very anti Klaus in some ways but he still held the tendencies of Klaus" Stefan said

"Did you meet Michael?" Caroline asked

"No, I'd only see Niklaus in the town square" Stefan recalled "But still, he was just a boy trying to fit in" he said

"The black sheep" Caroline concluded "He always felt like the black sheep, with Michael, with everyone" she said thinking back to her many conversations with Klaus

"Niklaus was every bit of normal. Maybe that's what he wants out of all this, that's all he's ever wanted" Stefan said

"But he's not Stefan. Niklaus, Klaus…he's greater than all of this" Caroline reasoned "How can we just pretend like he's some average boy that has to discover he's a vampire then add on the fact that he's the abomination that a string of witches are coming after him. It's just all so wonky and insane" she sighed in frustration

"Still, you have to determine what you can handle but don't force yourself into thinking that it'll be easy because it never is. It's never easy to fall out of love with someone" Stefan said as Caroline could feel the heartache of Stefan, who she knew was still teaching himself to fall out of love with Elena

"Thank you for coming" Caroline said as she rested her head on his shoulder

"I'm here for you. It may not seem like it but I'm here for you" Stefan told her as he rested his hand on top of hers

* * *

Closing the door behind him as he walked out of the kitchen, Niklaus zipped his jacket up as he charged through the darkened night. Looking on at the cobblestone pathway that lead out towards his studio. Opening up the door to his studio, Niklaus stood in the doorway for a moment as he still had yet to truly take in the fact that he once upon a time created such work. Walking around the studio, Niklaus looked on at each piece of artwork that was of the girl. On each artwork he would see the artist signature as Klaus until finally he came to a row that read Niklaus. Stopping in front of one of the pieces to look on intently, Niklaus touched the piece of artwork and in a flash he felt a connection with the piece before him. Staring intently, Niklaus felt like he was connected.

_**[Flashback]**_

_**Looking around, Caroline observed the pictures he had drawn with his very hand, all of which were dark, and she couldn't help but feel like each picture was a gateway into his soul. Typically she'd think he was a monster to draw such things, but then the pictures he had drawn for her had always been that of light. Taking her silence as her observing the work he had done, Klaus quickly rose from his seat as he couldn't take even her silent mocking. Facing her, Klaus was surprised to see that she was so enthralled by his work that no apparent sign of dislike came to her face. It was as if she understood and had sympathy for the very depictions he showed as dark. Turning to look at him, Caroline and Klaus looked each other dead in the eyes as the silence between them had allowed them both to access their thoughts to the fullest. Walking towards him, Caroline pulled out a white Kleenex she had picked on her way out to place beside him. "What is this?" he asked as he looked over at the Kleenex**_

_**"My peace treaty" Caroline said "I don't want to fight, so if me being here upsets you, then I'll leave" she told him as he tore his attention away the symbolic treaty to look at her. No words were exchanged at first as Klaus wasn't even sure how to express what he was feeling in the moment, which ultimately made Caroline feel as if his silence were the ultimate answer. Turning to head towards the door, Klaus knew that words would have to be said in order to stop her.**_

_**"I…I don't want you to go" Klaus blurted out "I've never wanted you to go" he said as she stood in place "I take loyalty seriously, more than anything. You see, in my life, I've come to depend that a persons words are their form of contract. I believe your words, more than I should, but I come to realize that your actions scare me. I want you here, whether in loyalty or not, I want you" he said as Caroline couldn't help but to turn to face him. Walking towards him, Caroline glanced over towards the rest of the pictures behind him as she found them even more breathtaking than the others.**_

_**"Have you drawn anything new?" Caroline asked as she kept her attention on the pictures behind him while he just took in the beauty of her simplicity before his very eyes**_

_**"No" Klaus replied softly**_

_**"Why?" Caroline asked**_

_**"You wouldn't understand" Klaus told her as he looked off to the side of him while Caroline looked at him**_

_**"Try me" Caroline said before he caught her gaze. Bringing his hand up slowly, he held one finger out for a pointer as he pointed towards his head.**_

_**"I hear the voices. I hear screams. I hear cries. I hear terror in the silence. I hear each and every one of them. I can try to put pen to pad, but the voices win out" Klaus explained**_

_**"Because of your soul?' Caroline asked as she looked towards his chest**_

_**"I suppose. Guess I've lost more than I imagine with the bloody soap box in my chest" Klaus laughed softly**_

_**"What do you draw? If you were to draw, what would you draw?" Caroline asked**_

_**"I draw was fascinates me" Klaus replied "In light and in dark, I draw what fascinates me" he told her**_

_**"That's strange because even your darker work show bits of light" Caroline told him "But the voices enable you from drawing" she concluded**_

_**"An artists, as I try to be, uses their mind as they call upon every corner of it to complete thought or illusion. It's less cluttered because not much goes through or if so it's filtered into thoughts I'd rather not share" Klaus told her**_

_**"Do I fascinate you?" Caroline asked in the softest of voices without even trying after a moment of silence came between them as they looked at each other for a moment. Surprised by her question, Klaus displayed the confusion in his eyes as Caroline seemed to convey such certainty in hers. There was no doubt in her mind that she was his fascination just by the way he looked at her. Slowly pulling her shirt over her head, Caroline would've been the first to say it was due to the heat, but the heat she would've been referring to would've come as an ambiguous answer. Revealing the bra that she was in, Klaus watched her undress before him as he didn't know what to equate this to. Putting her hair up into a ponytail, Caroline walked over to stand in front of his canvas as he turned to look at her. For a moment, Caroline took a deep breath in and out before she finally relieved herself of her bra while making sure to capture her breast with the side of her arm.**_

_**"What are you doing?" Klaus asked softly as his stare remained on her naked body**_

_**"You said you draw what fascinates you….so draw me" Caroline told him as they both just looked on at each other**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

Pulling his hand away from the picture, Niklaus looked on at his hand for a moment before turning his attention back towards the painting. His heart racing a mile a minute, Niklaus couldn't help but feel the emotions of happiness from the moment that painting existed. He felt as if he was reliving the moment all over in his head for some reason that he just couldn't shake. Hearing a knock come to the door, Niklaus looked over to see that it was Robert standing in the doorway. Backing away from the painting, Niklaus ran his hand through his hair as he backed away, trying not to show how effected he was.

"What are you doing here?" Niklaus asked nearly out of breath

"We have to talk" Robert stated

"Not now" Niklaus told him

"It's getting to you, huh?" Robert asked as he walked in further

"What is?" Niklaus asked

"The room. The pictures. Her" Robert stated "The girl you love, the girl he loved" he said as a moment of silence came between them

"What are you doing here?" Niklaus asked

"I came to teach you the necessary means of survival" Robert told him

"The necessary means of survival is me trying to be normal and stop entertaining these supernatural thoughts" Niklaus replied

"These supernatural thoughts are real Niklaus. You can't run from them because I guarantee that in the end you will die" Robert said

"I choose death than to entertain this thought that I'm a vampire! I'm nothing…." Niklaus began to say before Robert used light speed to stab him with a stake. Looking on in confusion with a pain stricken face, Niklaus struggled to breath

"This burning sensation that is tearing through your skin, this won't kill you. Not your kind. You will only die from a certain kind of wood….all you have to do is say you understand" Robert whispered

"You're crazy" Niklaus said through gritted teeth as he spit out blood

"That's not what I asked. Say that you understand, say that you have stopped this foolishness" Robert told him

"No!" Niklaus yelled as Robert dug the stake in deeper to where he began to twist. Groaning in pain, Nikluas clenched on tight to the edges of the table as he screamed out in pain.

"Why are you fighting this?!" Robert asked as Niklaus struggled to even stand. Falling to his knees, Niklaus cried out in pain before he began to stifle the surges of pain going through his body. Coming to his realization that he could handle the pain, Niklaus took a few deep breaths before he stood firm. Slowly but surely, Niklaus ripped out the stake from his chest before tossing it to the side.

"Being me, the one that wants to be normal….it's all I have left to fight for these days" Niklaus breathed as he tried to manage the pain "Escort yourself out" he told Robert through gritted teeth before Robert slowly obliged his wishes as he walked over towards the door.

"I still have much to show you" Robert told him

"There's nothing I want to learn from you" Niklaus replied

"We'll try again tomorrow" Robert said softly as he could hear the frustration in Niklaus begin to mount before he finally left.

"Why can't you people just get the point!" Niklaus yelled as he forcefully cleared the table filled with paints and art supplies to where it clashed on to the floor. Taking a moment to control himself, Niklaus dug into his pocket to pull out his keys before he quickly walked out of the studio.

* * *

Pulling into the school parking lot, Niklaus turned off the engine before he took a moment to enjoy the silence. Finding no comfort in being at the mansion any longer, Niklaus figured that the school was his only comfort place to escape the millions of thoughts that were racing through his brain. Reaching back into the back seat, Niklaus grabbed the bag before he got out of the car. Stashing his keys away in his pocket, Niklaus clenched on tight to his bag as he walked towards the hood of the car. Sitting up on the hood of the car, Niklaus sat up before he reached into his bag to pull out the sketch pad. Pulling out his pen and pad, Niklaus focused in on the very tree that had caught his fancy for some time in passing periods at school before he began to draw. Coming out of the library with her coffee in hand, Caroline breathed a sigh of relief that she was able to print out her paper just in time for her finals. Making sure to stay on the lighted path, Caroline pulled her keys out as she headed towards the parking lot before she grew surprised to see Niklaus sitting on the hood of his car.

"Niklaus?" Caroline asked as she walked over towards his car "What are you doing here?" she asked as he began to sit up straight on the car

"I thought you couldn't be around me" Niklaus said as he continued to draw

"We're in the same vicinity" Caroline said

"So walk away" Niklaus replied quickly as she couldn't help but catch a glimpse of what Niklaus was drawing

"You're drawing. Why?" Caroline asked

"It's for me. I'm not drawing for him" Niklaus stated

"I never accused you of it" Caroline told him

"But you were thinking it" Niklaus laughed as he looked over at her "I know why I'm here…" he began to say

"Because of a tree" Caroline noted

"No because I actually like the arts. I love it actually but I can't enjoy it as much because of it leading back to something to do with, here come the shock, Klaus" Niklaus replied as he looked over at Caroline "Tell me you didn't have some glimmer of hope that I was becoming like him again" he laughed

"No, I actually was liking the fact that you seemed a bit calmer than normal" Caroline said as she walked up closer towards the car "May I?" she asked as she hoped to sit on the hood beside him

"You'll be destroying all your efforts of avoiding me, avoiding each other" Niklaus told her

"Move over….please" Caroline said as Niklaus moved over on the hood to make a spot for her before she joined him on top of the car "You actually draw pretty well" she said as she looked on at his drawing

"I draw mediocre compared to Klaus" Niklaus scoffed

"You know as much as you try to distance yourself, the more you prove to be like him" Caroline told him

"And you want me to be like him?" Niklaus asked

"I just want you to be you because if you do get back to being Klaus it won't be for me" Caroline replied

"What exactly is your hang up on Klaus?" Niklaus asked

"Isn't it plane to see. I love him" Caroline smiled weakly "I'm in love with him while trying to fall out of love with him" she told him

"You've got quite the evidence to show of that" Niklaus said "How is that going? Falling out of love with me?" he asked

"It's not with you" Caroline said

"You're actually coming around to this conclusion. I don't know whether to have my male ego hurt or be glad that you're the one person coming around" Niklaus said

"I'm not buying in completely but I do think it's within my best interest to look beyond the face of you and for the real you" Caroline smiled "And I do think you have someone that see's you, the real you, the you that you need to accept" she said

"And who is that?" Niklaus asked

"Robert" Caroline said as Niklaus laughed to himself in disbelief

"The guy stabbed me with a stake" Niklaus replied

"All of which was his way to teach you. Look, I'm not sure what his methods will be to show you the you that you are but trying so desperately to run from" Caroline said "You're only killing yourself" she sighed

"Or holding on to some shred of normalcy" Niklaus said

"It's overrated" Caroline replied

"And you know this as a said vampire yourself" Niklaus laughed

"I know this as someone that went through the same thing your going through" Caroline said "Trust him. Learn to survive then maybe, maybe you'll be able to be this Niklaus you speak of and pull away from all things Klaus. Finally put the death in Klaus all together" she smiled weakly

"I'm not bad" Niklaus told her after a moment of silence "Maybe you should get to know me, we should get to know each other" he proposed

"You'd impede my progress" Caroline laughed

"I'd only be helping you" Niklaus smiled "I might be good for your heart in it's healing process" he told her

"You do know how bad that sounds, right?" Caroline asked

"I learn my path and you learn…about me. I think it's a fair trade off in things" Niklaus told her as she got up from the hood of the car

"Just do your part for yourself" Caroline said as she got up from the hood of the car before she began to walk away.

* * *

Hearing the sounds of his alarm clock going off on the bedside table, Niklaus kept the pillow over his head as he extended his hand out to slap the clock but found he was slapping at nothing. Popping up in the bed, Niklaus reached over to turn the clock off before he slowly got out of the bed. Lugging around, Niklaus went about his daily routine as he got dressed for school. Grabbing his bag, Niklaus made his way downstairs and entered into the kitchen where he saw Robert sitting so diligently as if he were expecting him. Not acknowledging Robert's presence, Niklaus walked over to pour himself a cup of tea before walking over towards the second fridge to grab his pint of blood. Surprised by his change in heart, Robert did all he could to hold in his emotions but it was evident that he was surprised just as Niklaus took his seat across from him.

"So just give me the basics of this whole thing. I want to be able to endure the rest of my day" Niklaus said as he reached over to grab a pastry that Robert had laid out for him

"As you wish" Robert said as he could barely contain his smile but knew it was best for it to fade if he was going to show his serious side with Niklaus.


	4. That Old Feeling

**_Niklaus_**

**Chapter Four- That Old Feeling**

* * *

Pulling into the parking lot, Caroline could hardly control her laughter as Elena and her had found yet another topic to laugh about. Each getting out on their respective sides of the car while they continued to laugh to themselves. Making their way inside the Mystic Grill, Elena and Caroline immediately made their way over towards their usual table. Ordering their food, Caroline and Elena used the time to catch up on school conversations before Caroline couldn't help but notice Bonnie entering the grill with her own set of friends it seemed. Noticing the turn of focus, Elena looked over to see what Caroline was looking at before she couldn't help but feel nervous and torn on what to do in this scenario between her two friends.

"She's moved on from both of us I see" Caroline sighed as she looked over at Bonnie

"No, she just doesn't want to complicate things" Elena replied sadly

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked as she turned to look at Elena "I thought you two were on good terms?" she asked

"We are, but she also knows that I don't want to leave you stranded" Elena said as Caroline could feel the guilt catch up to her

"And this just makes me feel even worse" Caroline sighed

"Look let's not even talk about it, it's all so depressing and things are going good. Do I want you guys to work it out, yes, but I'm not going to be the one that forces it" Elena told her friend

"Your right. You shouldn't have to be the one that brokers a peace treaty and I intend to make sure of that" Caroline replied as she got up from her seat

"What are you doing?" Elena quickly asked as she noticed Caroline's movement

"I'm clearing the air" Caroline quickly smiled at Elena before she continued on her path towards Bonnie over where she sat with her friends. Bouts of laughter came from Bonnie and her crowd as Caroline approached, which made things even more nerve racking for Caroline. The only focus that Caroline had was to absolve the tension between Bonnie and Elena but she couldn't help but feel the pressure be put on herself as well since they hadn't spoken in some time. Noticing her walking towards her, Bonnie turned her attention towards Caroline. "Hey can I talk to you really quick?" she asked as Bonnie looked towards the brunette that she was sitting across from

"Yeah…sure" Bonnie said hesitantly as she got up from her seat and followed behind Caroline until they were off in a corner, in which she was sure Elena was looking intently over towards "So what did you want to discuss?" she asked as she faced Caroline

"Be friends with Elena. Whatever is going on with us, don't take out on her…" Caroline began to say

"You mean besides the fact that you're in love with a serial killer" Bonnie stated as Caroline just gave her a look

"I'm not getting into this with you" Caroline told her "Elena is our friend and she's in the middle and we need to do all we can to keep her out of the middle" she said "Do you really want to do that to her?" she then questioned as Bonnie sighed

"No" Bonnie replied before a silence came between them "I really don't want us all to be like this" she said

"Well, can you accept the fact that I did love Klaus?" Caroline asked

"Not anytime soon" Bonnie quickly replied

"Then there we have it, which I'm sure you love the fact that Niklaus hasn't taken over all residency in the body of Klaus" Caroline said

"So what the warlock did really did help?" Bonnie asked

"Perfectly. So this works out perfectly for you, I'm not with Klaus and he's most likely never returning to form" Caroline declared "You can leave your Wicca friends and hang out with Elena" she said

"I'm not just using my Wicca friends….well slightly, but not completely. The girl is new and I'm just teaching her a few things" Bonnie said

"You don't have to explain. You always need another brunette to the mix to liven things up from when the blonde exits" Caroline reasoned

"That makes no sense" Bonnie replied with a bit of confusion on her face

"It wasn't supposed to or at least it never did in my head" Caroline said trying to clear a few things up "Just make things right with Elena and leave us out of it. Just do that" she said giving Bonnie a pleading look before she walked off. Walking back towards the table, Caroline ran her hand through her hair as she hated how evident the distance was between Bonnie and her was becoming. Not paying attention to where she was going, Caroline found herself bumping into the very brunette that Bonnie had entered with.

"I'm so sorry" The brunette quickly told her as Caroline looked up to notice the distinctive features of the brunette. The brunette gave off the warmest of appearances, the typical Girl Next Door vibe but Caroline couldn't help but be a bit weary about the girl. Maybe it was the whole Wicca vs. Vampire vibe she chalked up to or may it was just her being upset that this girl was learning more stuff about her friend than she was. It was an array of emotions that she just couldn't put into words and never even tried to.

* * *

With her arms folded, Niklaus looked on at Robert rummage about in the small enclosed space. Niklaus had heard Robert's mumblings about him being in confined space for an upcoming event that would prove to be big in him but he had no clue that Robert would be such a crazed maniac on his final solution. It was but a mere basement in Niklaus's house that looked like a cellar of all things but once Robert started to unleash the chains, Niklaus knew that the extreme was happening. Walking down the few set of stairs that they had, Robert looked over at Niklaus to see that he was in clear confusion as to what was going on and would need some clear explanation as to why he should trust the man. Wiping his hands clean from the dirt of the cellar, Robert walked towards Niklaus.

"This is all for your own good" Robert said

"Chains and me being good doesn't sound good" Niklaus replied "This looks like a contraption you've thought up just to drive this whole supernatural to the brink of things" he scoffed

"I'd like to think but it's very much true" Robert replied "You're not just a typical vampire Niklaus, you're a hybrid" he said

"And what there's different brands of vampires now? I must be the very screwed up one to garner such fancy" Niklaus replied

"I suppose, but you're strong by all accounts" Robert said "And these chains are what's to keep you from hurting anyone" he said

"Free will, that'll keep me from hurting anyone" Niklaus replied

"If you knew what you were capable of. I can't take the chance of you going on a killing spree" Robert said

"So I've done that before? Gone on a killing spree? Boy, this is the time I really would like to know what this bloke, Klaus was all about" Niklaus sighed in frustration "What the hell is supposed to happen? Why am I locking myself away to protect others?" he said

"Because you're strength alone could kill up to thousands. You're an original with far greater power than you realize. We harness that power and we begin to get control of what they will be tempted to use against you" Robert said

"They as in this Covenant. Why me? Why come after me singularly?" Niklaus asked as Robert wasn't quite sure now was the time to bring in Niklaus's father into the equation

"Because you've branded your own species that takes away any balance of nature" Robert said "You are the abomination, you're the creator of your own species" he said

"So because I decided to create more like me, I'm the bad guy. That sounds like a true villainous act" Niklaus said

"Balance of power is something the Covenant takes seriously" Robert told him "You don't master the key things and they will attack your weaknesses. I can't be there to help you in certain thing because how they plan to attack you is still unbeknownst to me but I can help you prepare for the possibilities" he said

"Preparation for unseen forces sounds crazy" Niklaus replied

"A lot of things are but it's the reality you have to face" Robert told him as he leaned over to pick up the chain

"Did you at least get me a make up on my mid term?" Niklaus asked as he grabbed the chain and began to fit his hand

"I've managed for you to take the test early. Today as a matter of fact or tonight to be precise" Robert told him

"On your mission to get me through said transformative experience that involves chains, you couldn't manage to get me out of a te….what the bloody hell!?" Niklaus began to say before he went crashing through the floor. Debris falling on top of him, Niklaus swatted away the dust that tried to settle on him as he sat bewildered

"I forgot to mention that before you lost your memory, I told Klaus that he had to be careful with the floor boards in the basement" Robert said as he looked down at Niklaus

"I hate my life. I bloody hate every second of my life" Niklaus uttered to himself before another plank hit him on the head and Robert did all he could to contain his laughter.

* * *

Letting out a yawn as he made his way out of the class, Niklaus could only hope that he passed his test and would leave everything up to fate at this point. Holding his books firmly in hand, Niklaus continued to walk down the path as he let out a few yawns along the way just hoping that he'd be able to make it back to the house before crashing into a deep slumber. Just as he began to fumble around in his pocket for his keys, Niklaus found that he was walking upon Caroline, who had also just gotten out of class. Noticing a few specks of debris on his shoulder, Caroline became intrigued with why Niklaus looked so disheveled but didn't want to come across as being overly concerned with him as she still wanted a bit of distance from him. So finding that balance was her ultimate challenge.

"You look like hell" Caroline noted trying not to show any ounce of emotion that would show she cared

"I feel like it, especially since I fell through a floor board" Niklaus sighed

"Are you done with your testing?" Caroline asked

"I just took my last midterm, which couldn't have come at a better time before a week off" Niklaus said

"With tonight being special and all. Has Robert prepped you?" Caroline asked

"For someone who's trying to avoid me, you're concerned about my plans for some reason" Niklaus observed of Caroline's answers

"That's not the case. I'm just trying to make sure that you're prepared in all of this. I've seen a few transformations with Tyler but I always knew that if he got loose then things could be very bad" Caroline said

"Yeah, Robert has prepared me. I believe chains are in the works" Niklaus told her

"That sounds good" Caroline said as they began to walk

"How does that sound good to you? It all still sounds weird" Niklaus reasoned

"It's steps that are necessary" Caroline told him

"Yeah well, I still don't understand all of this. What exactly am I suppose to uncover about myself all in one night?" Niklaus asked

"That you're far more unique than you care to realize" Caroline told him as Niklaus's attention quickly shifted over towards a girl walking in his direction. Noticing his change in eye contact, Caroline turned around to see that it was the brunette that she had met the other night with Bonnie. Looking back at Niklaus, Caroline could see that he was completely enamored with her as if he knew her.

"Delilah" Niklaus said to himself with a bit of laughter as Caroline drew confused and seemed to recall a time where she heard that name once before but couldn't quite place it in the moment

"What?" Caroline questioned as he walked past her in hope of walking up towards the brunette but found that she had disappeared from his sight. Looking around, Niklaus hoped that he would find her once more but couldn't manage to find her but Caroline could see that he was clearly flustered by this. "What's wrong?" she asked as she read his expressions closely which in turn made her a bit uneasy

"I just…I thought I saw someone" Niklaus muttered to himself as he continued to look around "Someone that I used to know from a while back" he said as Caroline couldn't help but have the name linger in her mind of what he had mentioned once before.

* * *

Since Niklaus mention of Delilah earlier, Caroline couldn't manage to shake the thought out of her head. Why would he be seeing Delilah? That was beyond random for him to recall her name of all names, that was all Caroline kept running through her head. Coming out of the kitchen, Robert had a cup of tea in hand as he had become one to enjoy his tea in the afternoon since Niklaus was such a big proponent of it. Stopping by to see Caroline in a mere attempt to stay in her good graces, Robert was glad to see that he had stopped by because she seemed lost in thought of all things. Taking a seat on the sofa, Robert watched her pace the floor back and forth as all he could do was watch her pace. Turning to face the man, Caroline drew a look of confusion on her face as she just looked at him.

"Since when do you become a tea drinker?" Caroline asked

"Since I've met the likes of Mr. Klaus or Mr. Niklaus, whatever name we're going by this week" Robert replied as he took a sip from his cup

"I could swear that name sounds familiar" Caroline then uttered to herself

"What does?" Robert asked

"The name that Klaus…I mean Niklaus mentioned earlier while we were….was any part of you listening to me as I was speaking?" Caroline asked

"Yes, I was listening" Robert replied "Why exactly are you bothered?" he asked

"Because the name, Niklaus mentioned a name and I distinctly remember the name and I can't recall the name of where I heard it mentioned" Caroline replied

"And this name would be?" Robert asked

"Diana, no. It was….crap, this side conversation made me forget the name. It's something old…." Caroline began to say

"Thank you for that back handed insult" Robert replied

"I'm not trying to insult you by any means" Caroline stated "Well, you could do without all the dark clothing. It's starting to make you look like cloud of death. It's fall Robert, wear something a little colorful" she told him

"I'll be sure to rush to my local dress store to ensure that I heed your advice" Robert replied sarcastically "This name, does it serve as important?" he then asked

"Important enough for Niklaus to get all frustrated. He had this look like he was eager to see this person and was surprised. When he couldn't find the person, he pretty much wrapped up our conversation saying he was late for school but I know it was more about him trying to do his own search party" Caroline said

"For said person?" Robert asked "I couldn't help but notice that this name your trying to recall happened to be a girls name….is there anything to that?" he asked

"Nothing is to that and don't look at me like there is. This name is important and once I figure it out then I will show you or tell you why" Caroline said

"Well it is the full moon. I haven't been around for many of these dazzling, horrifying nights but much happens on these nights. Things that we think we see could be due to the wonkiness of the night in total" Robert said

"That's what I tried to make myself believe but I just think there's more to it. Maybe Covenant more to it….I just wish these big bad witches would show their faces all ready instead of hiding like cowards" Caroline said

"Witches or these group of witches use patience as one their strengths, knowing we lack that of patience in the deepest of ways" Robert smiled

"Can't you rush the process as a warlock? Use you dark magic of some sort" Caroline asked "We can all move on from this cloud all together and be done with it" she sighed

"Do you really want to move on from it?" Robert asked as Caroline just looked at him

"I do. I have to" Caroline said "There's nothing there and every time we talk, it only proves to show that I'd be waiting for something that will never come" she said

"You fell in love with the spirit of who he was. Surely Niklaus possesses some bit of his spirit because you said yourself, Klaus was always trying to become Niklaus" Robert said

"Yeah well, I fell in love with the serial killer not the guy that see's me as just another object in the day. Niklaus doesn't get enamored by me like Klaus would" Caroline said "I remember a time when Klaus would make it his mission to flirt with me in some way, regardless if Tyler was there or not. Klaus didn't care, he wanted me and he let me know it every time we met that he did. I was the only one he looked at in a room full of girls…Niklaus just looks past me" she said getting lost in the reverie only to be torn out by remnants of the presence

"I'll be sure to look into this said name further with Niklaus" Robert said as he got up from his seat to put his cup down "But I hope that tonight you will stay safe" he said

"I will. I was just going to go over to Damon and Stefans to wade out the horrors that might come with Elena" Caroline sighed "I trust Elijah will be accompanying you in your help with Niklaus?" she asked

"No, I've made my point clear that I won't need assistance" Robert smiled as he walked closer towards her "Be safe" he said once more with concern

"I will" Caroline sighed "Just make sure that he's okay in all of this" she said

"You know it'd be a hell of a lot better if I had your assistance. Like old times" Robert replied

"Niklaus doesn't need me, he needs you" Caroline smiled as it seemed to hurt a little less to admit the statement these days.

* * *

Walking around aimlessly, Niklaus found himself going through a goose chase as some inkling inside of him just couldn't manage to walk away so easily. Being mindful of the fact that he had to keep an eye out on the time due to Robert's warnings, Niklaus wanted to get some sort of piece of mind. Knowing that Mystic Falls had some bit of semblance to the Mystic Falls that it used to be a few centuries, Niklaus went to the same stomping grounds that he used to as a kid. At a rapid pace, Niklaud entered further and further into the woods to where he remembered where the old house would be before he began to survey the area. Hearing the sounds of the wind clashing against the leaves, Niklaus became mindful that the daunting sounds of the night were to set in soon and would not be typical of what he was used to. The further he walked, he began to see glimpses of her as his eyes began to glisten like a boy on Christmas morning opening up his favorite of gifts. Eagerly walking towards her, the girl turned to face him with the biggest of smiles on his face.

"Is this real? Is this really you?" Niklaus asked in disbelief

"Yes Niklaus" The girl smiled through the teary eyed reunion

"My Delilah" Niklaus smiled before he leaned forward to hug her "There's so much that we need to discuss. I have tales upon tales to tell you of" he said as he held her close

"I'm sure of it" Delilah laughed

"I thought you were a mirage of my soddin mind. I thought I had gone mad" Niklaus laughed nervously

"I feel like a mirage in this place. So much has changed….you look to have changed" Delilah said

"It alls in the physical sense…" Niklaus began to say

"It's more than that" Delilah quickly replied as a silence came between them "You seem to be not of your self Niklaus. I may be jumping to conclusions but I can't help but read you" she said

"It's all been a bit much…I've supposedly been not of myself to those around here….but you get it, you see me" Niklaus replied

"I've always seen you" Delilah smiled as they stared at each other for a moment before sounds of claps of lightning rang loudly in their ears. Fearing that time was escaping him, Niklaus looked on worriedly as his first instinct was to protect her

"Come with me. I have a house, we can talk and catch up" Niklaus told her as he took her hand in his

"Don't you remember the times we used to love the mayhems of the night?" Delilah questioned not the slightest bit scared of the pending daunting sounds of the night

"Tonight is different" Niklaus replied

"Because of what you are?" Delilah asked as he let a silence come between them for a few moments

"You remember….you remember what I became?" Niklaus asked

"It's hard to forget the very thing that kept us a part…" Delilah said

"I didn't ask to be, Michael and Esther forced it upon us" Niklaus replied

"It's not to late to change…" Delilah began to say

"I can't" Niklaus said shaking his head "But we must go before the worse of the night sets upon us" he told her once again clenching on to her hand

"We can't run from what we once were" Delilah said pulling her hand away from his slowly "You can be as you were Niklaus….you just have to want to be" she said as she moved closer towards him to caress his face. Caught up in the touch of her hand, Delilah looked on intently at Niklaus as if she had some bit of control of him. For Niklaus there was no place to look but in to her eyes as any wish she'd ask for he'd do without any hesitation. "You can change everything if you stay with me" she whispered as he looked on before the sounds of footsteps could be heard but did little to tear them from their reverie of each other

"Niklaus!" Robert yelled out as he walked closer towards the area, in which Niklaus was. Turning slightly to look over at Robert, Niklaus turned back to see that the girl he had once held had vanished into thin air. Spotting the confusion that wore heavily on Niklaus's face, Robert quickly walked over towards Niklaus as he wasted no time in wanting to get him back to the house "We need to go" he replied as he quickly latched on to Niklaus's hand.

* * *

The lights once shined bright within the house but the gang quickly found that the flickering lights had turned into minimal light for them. Going throughout the house, Caroline finally got her candle to light as she made her way out of one the listless bedrooms that was in the Salvatore estate. Heading downstairs to see that Elena and Damon were all ready nestled up together on the sofa, Caroline looked over at the bar to see Stefan sipping on his choice drink of bourbon. Caroline could only see from his expressions that he had come to terms with the relationship but still had his bouts on accepting. Taking her seat on the other sofa, Caroline let out a sigh as all she could do was watch the light of her candle flicker.

"So…who wants to play board games?" Damon asked with a bit of sarcasm

"Have we heard anything from Elijah?" Stefan asked as he walked over

"In his proper and forth coming way of Elijah speak, he made sure to put emphasis on the fact that if something happens to Niklaus also known as Klaus, then it would incite this war we've been dreading….otherwise he says hello" Damon replied

"Have we gotten any closer to finding out what this whole Covenant is about? I mean how do we know what we're fighting? Is it here or is it on the way….what are we supposed to be doing in the mean time?" Caroline asked

"That's a part of the allure, they can show up anytime they want to" Damon replied

"As any form?" Elena questioned

"They're witches, they play by their own rules" Damon said as he got up from his seat on the sofa to walk over towards the ball to pour himself a drink

"I feel like we're repeating the same thing and have yet to have any clue on how to handle this" Caroline sighed

"Tell me about it, it's getting redundant. I'm beginning to think there is no big bad Covenant like we're lead to believe" Elena sighed

"There is. I've heard only the minimal amount of things, but this is very real" Stefan said "It's just how we fight against the Covenant that leaves me a bit confused" he said

"That's where our allies come in handy. We have a warlock that has pissed off said Covenant, then we have a gang of Originals that are the targets. We've got the key group, we just need to find our secret weapon" Damon said

"I thought the secret weapon was Niklaus's father?" Caroline asked

"And that he is, but at this point it might me to just get Niklaus back to Klaus so we can find daddy" Damon groaned in frustration as Elena's cell phone began to vibrate. Digging in her purse, Elena looked on at her phone to see that it was Bonnie calling

"This is Bonnie. She just text to say that she's with Delilah and the Wicca group" Elena said as Caroline quickly drew upon a memory and realization of why the name sounded familiar

"Oh, my God" Caroline said in complete shock before she slowly rose from her seat

"What? Did you forget to record some teeny bopper show?" Damon asked

"I have to go" Caroline said as she began to gather her things

"Tonight wouldn't the night to wander about" Stefan said as he followed behind as Elena looked on knowing that this might have something to do with Niklaus

"I'll be safe. I know how to handle myself, but I have to….I have to go" Caroline told him before she quickly made her way out of the house.

* * *

Clamping the clamp down on the wrist cuffs of the chains, Niklaus groaned in frustration as he looked on at his confinement that he was subjected to. Robert had pressed for information as to who Niklaus was speaking to but Niklaus kept tight lipped on the girl as he had his own frustrations of losing her to deal with. Watching Niklaus pace about with his chains clashing against the ground, Niklaus wanted nothing more than to get through the night so that he'd get to another day to find his Delilah. Stepping back to take on a full assessment of the man, Robert folded his arms as he could only hope that the true test of Niklaus's hybrid gene would be able to be controlled by the young man that he looked on at.

"I heard you talking to someone" Robert said after a few moments of silence

"You heard nothing" Niklaus griped as he leaned up against the wall

"So you usually go out into the woods to stand in confusion?" Robert asked sarcastically

"I'm doing what you ask! I'm here all chained up like you want, can some bit of my life not have to be reported to you!?" Niklaus yelled angrily

"I can only help you if your honest in what you encounter" Robert told him

"And I can only take so much of your crazed beliefs. I'm this hybrid that you speak of and I comply with these chains. The least you can comply with is my privacy" Niklaus said as the door opened from above before Caroline came down the steps to see Niklaus chained up "And the added pleasure to my life" he said sarcastically

"I need to talk to you" Caroline said as she looked over at Robert

"While I just stand here like the sacrificial lamb" Niklaus replied "Hello Caroline, remember me, the guy you're trying to avoid yet seem to not be doing so well in doing so" he said

"I see the chains have finally gotten to you" Caroline replied "It's a long night, but you'll get through" she said

"I doubt that. This is just a constant reminder of the freak that I am" Niklaus sighed as he slid down the wall to his knees "You come to watch?" he asked

"Something like that" Caroline said as she looked on at him

"As the moon appears, you will experience distortion in your body. It's best not to fight the pain but manage it" Robert told him calmly

"Pain has always been a manageable thing for me" Niklaus griped as Caroline looked over at Robert for him to follow her upstairs.

"What's going on?" Robert asked as they made their way into the kitchen before Caroline turned to look at him

"I remembered the name" Caroline said

"The name from earlier?" Robert asked

"Yes….it was Delilah" Caroline said "Klaus told me that Delilah was his first love when he was in actual Klaus like version" she said

"So you're traveling down memory lane, I hear that's a great travel point" Robert teased

"It's not like that. I also remember that Delilah detested the fact that he was turned into a vampire, and I'm pretty sure she can't age her way into a college student in this time period from when he was once a normal person" Caroline told him

"So you think this Delilah person is here now?" Robert asked as he could recall the earlier conversation "And this could also be the very thing they would do" he sighed in frustration

"They as in the Covenant? This Delilah, they'd bring her back from the dead or whatever?" Caroline asked

"I came upon Niklaus in the woods talking to someone, when he turned back he seemed shocked that the person wasn't there" Robert told her

"Which means that this could be the Covenant" Caroline sighed

"I'll talk with Mannex about this…they're probably trying to play upon his heart" Robert siad

"By using Delilah" Caroline said "So is she real?" she asked

"They could use her and judging by the apparent effects she's all ready left on him, they will continue to" Robert said "I should've seen this coming" he groaned in frustration as he began to pace

"No one could" Caroline told him "This is about as far fetched as possible" she told him

"Not really. They will use any element to destroy him, keep him from the realization of what is he is and what he once was" Robert said

"As Niklaus, pre-vamp?" Caroline asked

"Yes" Robert replied as a silence came between them

"Then I need to help….I'll help" Caroline concluded "She could tug on the aspects that make him Niklaus but I'm the only one that can tug on the heart of Klaus" she stated "We've got to get him back…that's the only way" she sighed

* * *

Caroline's eyes fluttered open as she saw a bit of the morning dew from the window. Covered up with a blanket that she was sure Robert placed on her, Caroline slowly sat up on the sofa as she began to rub her eyes. Looking around at her surroundings, Caroline could detect that she was at Niklaus's mansion. Judging by the minimal damage that had not occurred within the house, Caroline concluded that Niklaus had survived his first full moon. Slowly rising from her spot on the sofa, Caroline took a sip of the coffee that Robert had placed on the table beside her as she let a smile slip to know that he still knew her well enough to take care of her. Walking towards the basement, Caroline made her way inside as she slowly descended the steps to see the modest look of Niklaus as he lay in a fetal position. Clothes were ripped with little regard as she was sure he had transformed into werewolf form. Niklaus slowly moved away as she moved towards him, not wanting to receive her sympathy by any means. Grabbing the nearest article of cloth, Caroline handed it to him so that he could cover himself.

"You enjoy the show?" Niklaus asked

"I don't enjoy seeing you in pain" Caroline replied as she sat across the room

"Then why are you here?" Niklaus asked "This isn't me changing into Klaus, this is me…the monster" he said

"You're not a monster and neither was he" Caroline said "You have to accept what you are and although this isn't appealing, you just fought half the battles that will come your way" she told him

"You ever been chained? Doesn't do well for psyche love" Niklaus replied

"What is it that you think I should know about you? What do you want us all to gain from your protests, I mean you say you want to learn of what you are but you don't seem to….has anything changed your mind?" Caroline asked as he took a moment to think of Delilah's words

"This is not the path I would've chosen" Niklaus muttered

"And neither would I. There, we have something in common" Caroline replied "But why waste your life being ordinary, when you can be extraordinary?" she asked

"All I've ever wanted was to be ordinary. I didn't ask for this" Niklaus said

"And I get that. I apologize if I made you think that being Klaus was your only option" Caroline said "But we need you, you're family needs you to become your fullest of potential because if there was ever a time you wanted to just be rid of all that bounds you, the time is now" she said

"Why do I feel like that's a walking contradiction? You say you accept that I can't be Klaus, but you want me to see my potential as this hybrid. How is that possible?" Niklaus asked

"Because maybe I was wrong. Maybe it's time I get to know Niklaus" Caroline told him "You work at being this hybrid and I'll work at getting to know you" she said

"Why is it that you're always around when I'm at my lowest?" Niklaus asked weakly before Caroline just looked over at him

"I guess it's just your charm….or because I love your house" Caroline laughed weakly as they were able to enjoy a bit of laughter. Walking over towards Niklaus, Caroline kneeled down in front of him as she took a moment to take in the tiredness that weighed heavily in his eyes before she reached over to begin undoing the chains that were around his wrists. Letting out the weakest of smiles, Niklaus showed the only bit of gratitude that he could muster up as he felt as if his body had gone through a war of it's own kind.

* * *

Flipping through the pages and pages of town records, Robert scanned the pictures of the elder statesmen emphatically as if he were a man possessed. Coming out of the kitchen with a cup of tea in hand to see Robert's efforts and couldn't help but feel like this was reminiscent of another time that he saw Robert like this. Taking a seat in his old, beaten up chair, Mannox sipped on his tea as Robert groaned in frustration with the little results that he was getting. Slamming the book shut, Robert ran his hand through his hair as he just glanced over at Mannox to see that calm and collected look that he wore so often.

"What!?" Robert asked becoming a bit annoyed

"You're searching for answers in places you won't find them" Mannox replied

"A person comes back into Niklaus's life that otherwise wasn't there before until his turn into a vampire, I hardly doubt the search isn't warranted" Robert said "You should be helping me" he stated

"You can't prevent what the Covenant will do" Mannox told him

"I can't just sit around" Robert replied "They're here, they're using matters of the heart" he declared

"And this is something you yourself haven't done!?" Mannox asked in disbelief "It's the rules of the game, you know this, you've done this" he said

"In his mind he registers this Delilah to be real. He can't separate the realities and that could be his downfall" Robert said

"All of which you are aware of. The spell that was done to preserve the soul but to vanquish the memories. Only some, those of importance will register to him. So this Delilah is someone that he chooses to remember but along with that could come another memory to bring him back to his true identity" Mannox said

"So I'm supposed to let this tool that the Covenant is using get it's hooks into him while I hope he remembers who he really is just in time?" Robert questioned

"You can't fight his battle, all you can do is prepare him for it" Mannox replied

"And I can't accept that!" Robert quickly yelled in response "They will kill him. They will pull on the darkest of insecurities that only they and few have knowledge of…..I have to stop them" he said

"By what means?" Mannox asked "You know this side to you is looking familiar. Looking familiar of a man that lost control of what the magic is really for" he said

"Yeah well, they play dirty, I might have to as well" Robert replied as he stared on at Mannox "I won't wait. If you know a way, I want to know but I will not wait" he said before he stormed out of the room in a fit of anger while all Mannox could do his shake his head with concern, knowing that Robert was allowing his emotions to kick in.


End file.
